Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Defenders of a Shattered World
by Flickering Fire
Summary: A young girl with the name of Marcy has suddenly become an Eevee and washed up on a beach. She was destined to meet a young Riolu with the name of Vex. Together, these two form a team and join Cinccino's Guild and are instantly put to work. While taking request, these two are still confused to why Marcy is human... Along the road, all hell breaks loose. Friendship, Despair, Love.
1. Prologue

(Welcome Everyone to my Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Story, Defenders of a Shattered World. This story has been put up several times on Fanfiction (and is now going up on ) but I have needed to do some major editing. So I hope you enjoy. The story, I'm hoping, is to be more well put together and actually make sense. I shall not forget important details! And since I have had complaints about not having a real prologue, here it is. I'm sorry.)

 **(I know there is a lot of people who enjoy being part of stories. So if you want to see your team's cameo, message me and we'll figure things out. Only taking the first three messengers. ^^ )**

 **Prologue**

 _Where is she? Where did she go? Oh please answer me Marcy._ A tall pokémon was gazing around the darkened area, he couldn't see anything. The rain was pouring down hard, smothering him in the cold and wet. He was lost which meant his trainer was lost. She was lost without any help. All of her other pokéballs were stolen, except his. He didn't understand how they were stolen or who stole them. But somebody got a hold of all his comrades… Now, the pokémon wasn't sure if these crooks had gotten a hold of her. The day started out so calmly too. Everything was going fantastic and then the trainer took her pokémon to Nurse Joy. However, he refused to go with them for he did not want the Nurse's help. He wanted Marcy to take care of him like she had since the day he was found by her…

"Nurse Joy!" A girl called out, waving her arms as she walked into the room. She was a younger female, around the age of 14. Her long, lavender hair was so nice and soft. Not a single hair was out of place. That was the one thing she cared more about than anything on her body… It was beautiful hair. She was of average height and weight, a normal looking face and the friendliest smile in the world. The young female always brought joy and happiness around…

"Marceline, hello!" Nurse Joy exclaimed, turning around at her desk. "What brings you back Lumiouse City?" She asked her, smiling brightly.

"They're having another showcase here and I'm training with my pokémon!" The young girl replied, beaming brightly. A few feet behind her stood a tall green and white pokémon who didn't look to happy to be in the Pokémon Center. He had his arms crossed and a cold look in his eyes. He ignored the little Ralts who had come up to him and started poking at him, trying to communicate with the him. The green and white pokemon just turned his back on the little ralts and rolled his eyes.

"Oh? And is your partner going to participate in it this time?"

Marceline sighed. "No, probably not. Zero doesn't enjoy showcases… Except watching… Then he criticizes the other pokémon and tells them what they should do to improve," She explained to the Nurse. Then a giggle cracked and she turned, giving her partner the biggest hug in the world.

"Ga-Gallade!" The pokémon replied and tried his best to squeeze out of her hug. He growled and ended up pushing her a little too hard away from him, his face turning a bright red. "Gallade-Ga-Ga-Gallade!" He snapped, glaring at her with hard eyes. He didn't even pay attention to how hard he pushed him.

The girl stumbled back and frowned, feeling a tear in the corner of her eye. "That wasn't very nice Zero... That really hurt," She sniffled and stood up, dusting herself off. "If I want to hug you, I can!" She huffed, crossing her arms and giving him a sideways glance.

"Gallade," He retorted, turning his back on her and crossing his arms.

She frowned and turned her attention back to Nurse Joy, "It's okay though… I think he secretly wants to participate."

"GALLADE!" He stomped his foot and turned to glare at the young girl. "Gallade, gallade gallade!" The pokémon then turned once more and crossed his arms.

Marceline giggled and then mocked him, "Oi. I'm Zero and I'm a butt!"

Nurse Joy giggled in response. "Well, at least he likes the wristband you gave him. What's it for?"

"It's for something called Mega Evolution but I haven't found any of the stone used for his evolution. I have my stone. Professor Sycamore gave it to me. He just told me I would need to find something called, Galladite." She gently took off the necklace that was resting on her chest and showed it to Nurse Joy. A huge smile crept up on her face. "I absolutely love it!"

Nurse Joy giggled and nodded. She replied, "That's a beautiful stone. Goodluck finding Galladite. But for now, let me take a look at your pokémon while you're here."

The girl nodded and dug in her bag. "You know Zero though…"

"Yes. He doesn't like technology," Nurse Joy laughed and took the pokéballs from the girl. "In the mean time, why not get some food? Today we're offering free food for everyone!"

"Will do, thank you Nurse Joy!" Marceline turned and grabbed Gallade's hand and drug him through the halls of the hospital. "Come on Zero! Free food!"

 _I can't believe I lost her_. The pokémon thought to himself and growled in annoyance. How could he possibly let this happen? All he remembered was that she had to go to the restroom so he waited at the table for her, patiently. And then she was gone. She never came out and instead, a huge siren went off and the lights in the building were shot off. Everyone was scared and Zero had no idea what was going on. He looked through all the panicking people and pokémon, trying to catch eye of his trainer and best friend. But there was no luck. There was a truck that had left the Pokémon Center and he knew the girl had been taken. He had no idea what these people wanted with her. But he promised that he would get her back… He had not a single clue where the truck was that had his trainer in it. The last he saw it was headed toward the forest that he was currently in. All the rain and thunder made it hard to find the truck. She must be scared out of her mind…

Zero had continued running through the forest, trying to find his trainer. He had lost all traces of her. The only thing he had was a slight scent. He couldn't even see a path of the truck tires anymore. For some reason, Gallade was able to see his partner's aura. Not a complete outline in the clear, but well enough so he knows where she has gone. It only last for so long though. It hurt him so much to know that Marceline was gone. Why did this have to happen? Why her? Was there something special about the young girl that he didn't know? He knew she always did well in competitions… Her mother was special too. She was a scientist who got too caught up in her work. But that's all he knew…

Lightning flashed above his head and he flinched slightly. Thunderstorms were not his best friend… He absolutely hated them. He's always hated thunderstorms since he was a Ralts. When this lightning flashed, he saw something in the distance. A large, white building. A HUGE white building. He quickly ran up to it and then stopped several feet away when he could see a couple guard pokémon, not one's he would want to mess with either. He could make up the figure of a Feraligatr and a Psyduck. Surely there were more water pokémon around… How else would there be all this rain? They were covering this building. Something was in there and Zero was about to find out what. Building the courage, the fighting, psychic pokémon avoided the doors where the two gaurds were with the two pokémon and went around towards the back, being careful not to trip over anything. Another flash of lightning shone above, lighting up the whites on his body. Hopefully nothing saw him. Zero quickly made his way to the back and tried to open the door. No luck. He counted in his head for a few seconds before waiting for the perfect moment. _1… 2… 3…._

 ** _BANG_**

The thunder sounded above and he busted the door opened, the noise canceled out by the thunder. When he opened the door, there was a guardsman. He stared blankly at the gallade and growling.

"What do you think you're doing here?" He muttered under his breath.

"Gallade," Zero muttered back to him, giving a cold stare.

The guardsmen reached in his pocket for a pokeball and that's when Zero struck. He crossed his arms and ran at the guardsmen, using Pyscho Cut and knocking him back into the metal walls. Surely that would keep the guardsmen quiet for a bit… The gallade walked up and grabbed under his arms, pulling him to the other side of the door, hidden from anyone that may possibly walk into the room.

Quietly, the pokémon left the scene and tried to stay hidden best he could. There was so much in this space though… It was weird. There were bottles of something everywhere with weird names. Zero couldn't quite read the humans labels but he could see the different colors… Not that it would help much. Voices were heard and he quickly dropped to the ground behind some crates and hid there while the two guardsmen walked by.

A growl was then heard behind the green and white pokémon. "Why are you here?"

Zero tensed up and then slowly stood up, turning around to see a Liepard. "I want no trouble," He communicated to the pokémon. "I want to find my trainer."

"We have no trainers here," She replied with a growl.

"You have my trainer."

"We have no trainers," She told him again.

"You do!" Zero snapped, feeling enraged she was lying to him.

"I told you we do not." Her claws began to glow black and they became outstretched. She leapt in the direction of the gallade, jumping on him and slashing at him with her Night Slash. "Now Leave!"

Zero groaned as the sharp claws hit him, staggering him a bit. Quickly, he shrugged it off and leapt back some as the pokémon tried to jump at him again. "I only want to find my trainer," He muttered with annoyance.

She did not say a word to him, just charged at him, all fours glowing with that same black glow from the Night Slash. That wasn't what she was using though. She jumped into the air and then attempted to land on the Gallade, using Sucker Punch. Gallade quickly sidestepped and turned to face her. Right before she landed, the swift green and white pokémon's hand lit up with a white glow. He was ready to use Ice Punch. As she landed, Zero threw his fist in liepard's side, landing Ice Punch with a direct hit. She was thrown back and into a wall. Staggered, she tried to regain her balance and nearly fell. But she shook her head and then darted in the direction of Zero. Her claws lit up normally and she slashed at Zero. However, he countered with another ice punch, freezing her front paw that she was trying to slash at him with.

"Ugh!" She muttered, trying to shake loose the ice on her paw.

"Tch," Zero grinned and gave her a wicked look. This was perfect. She was distracted. He swiftly ran at Liepard and with lightning fast punches, he began to use Close Combat on the dark type, delivering critical blows.

"Get him!" A human voice yelled. "Put him with the human! That's her pokémon!"

"Can a pokémon be tested too?"

"We're going to find out. Tranquilize him some more and put him in the test tube!"

Zero did not stop, he was so enraged with anger that he was blinded. He just repeatedly kept knocking the crud out of Liepard. That's when something sharp poked him in the side. Everything around him was beginning to fade out. He was feeling light headed and weak. He had even fell to his knees. "No," He muttered quietly and looked down to his side. He had been shot at by tranquilizers. "That's not fair…" He murmured and fell flat on his face. "Marcy… I'm sorry," He whispered before the scene around him faded to black.

Hours later, Gallade woke up on something soft and squishy… His eyes were opening up slowly and the scene around him was beginning to fade in. Pain rippled through his body as he sat up on the grassy terrain. His gaze was blurry at first but he began to focus on his surroundings. Around this green and white pokémon sat nothing but a forest. _Where am I?_ He muttered, trying to recall what had happened. It was no luck though, nothing came to his memory. The pokemon gazed down at his body and looked at his hands. _Well… I'm still me, right? I think… Am I me?_ He questioned himself. _What is this place?_ It was fall. He could tell by the leaves scattered on the ground and the sun beating down on him. He gazed up and noticed that most trees were beginning to become bare. It was fall, almost winter it seemed. Gallade stood up, nearly falling weak and back down on to the ground. However, he caught his balance with the help of the tree he was nearby. Gallade could not remember anything. He could not remember his name or why he woke up here in the middle of a forest. Things didn't feel right. There was a hollow spot in his heart, like he was missing something. Or missing someone because none of this felt right. It wasn't right for him to be alone. Where were his friends? He remembered their voices but could not match them to faces or bodies… Where was he and who was he? Surely there is a reason he woke up here… Maybe this was his home. This hollow tree he woke up beside with dead berries on the ground. It had to be his home. A smile sat on his face. That's right, it was his home. Gallade was home.


	2. Chapter One - So it Begins

(Sorry about the chapter getting posted and then torn down. I didn't realize how much of a change a few things needed until I looked at it here. But here's chapter one! Chapter is short, I apologize in advance. Next few chapters will be longer.)

 **Chapter One**

 **So It Begins**

 _Where am I... Agh. What is that pain?_

There was a slight breeze brushing up against me. A more of a cool breeze. I felt so weak... I couldn't move. I tried to move my legs but I couldn't. I couldn't move anything. Perhaps I could move my arm? No. Not even that... I couldn't do anything. My eyes wouldn't even open. There was a scent though, a very familiar one. Where have I smelled this before? Something cold brushed up against my body and then disappeared again. Within a few seconds, it came back up and brushed up against me again. Water? That smell and that feel... It was cold, salt water. I was on a beach. I always did like the beach. It was always so warm and relaxing. Right now I wasn't feeling at all relaxed. In fact, I felt so beyond achy. Why? What happened to me? I gave up trying to open my eyes or even my arms or legs... I just laid there, letting the sun beam down on me and the water lap at my body.

"What is that?"I heard a soft voice call in the distance. At least I knew my ears were working.

I still didn't move until the water began to reach my nose. I took a slight breath and accidentally breathed in some of the ocean water. The salt water began to instantly burn my little nose, causing me to wake up with a jolt. My eyes growing wider by the moment as I stared at the sea that sat right in front of me. At least I was right about that. But why would I be on a beach? I don't remember being on a beach at all. What… What is this place? I know it's a beach, but from where? What's it called? Why was I here? I tried to stand up but I felt shorter for some reason. However, nothing was clear to me yet. All I know is I just collapsed right back down. This sand felt weird... It didn't feel like sand. I mean, I know it's sand but it just didn't _feel_ like sand.

"Hey!" That same soft voice called, "That's an eevee!"

Where am I? Why am I here? I stared at the blue ocean water that continued to come at her. Again, I attempted to stand up but I only felt my legs give up from under me. "Oof!" I huffed as she splashed back into the water. There is no use for trying to stand up. I just can't do it… Maybe whoever can help me up on my feet. I gazed towards the direction.

"Hey! You!" A voice called over to the me.

I focused my gaze in the direction of the voice, only to see a small black and blue pokémon running at me, arms flailing behind it. That pokémon looked as though it had a mask on. Realization struck up in me as I realized that the pokémon was a riolu. But… How was it talking? How could i understand him? I know there were rumors of riolu's and lucario's being able to communicate with a trainer but I thought the bond had to be strong.

"Are you okay?" He asked me.

"F-f-fine," I muttered very softly.

"What was that?" The Riolu asked, cuffing my ear as though he was mocking me. A smile appaered on his face as he nodded. "I heard you. However, an eevee like you shouldn't be passed out on the beach! It's not healthy. You might get a cold." His tone sounded very serious.

I just looked at him with wide and fearful eyes. I was confused. How could this pokémon talk? I never owned a riolu. I must be dreaming. It had to be a dream.

Riolu frowned when I stayed silent.

"You called me… An eevee?" I fiinally spoke up after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"Duh! Look at you! You're a complete eevee. But you look kind of… Light colored. Not the normal color of an eevee but more of a light brown color. AND LOOK AT THAT SPOT! It's humongous! I've never seen an eevee with a patch of light brown over their eye!" He gasped and then flung his riolu-hands at my face, pointing my eye. More like nearly poking my eye. Then he continued to speak to me, constantly.

I thought that he was either joking with me or he was just stupid. I knew that I was a full on human, with skin and everything. How could I have been turned into a pokémon over something? Wasn't it impossible for a human to turn into a pokémon?

"That's impossible," I spoke loudly.

"It's not! Look at you! You're an eevee. Trust me, I wouldn't lie." He patted his chest with a balled fist and grinned widely, standing kind of heroically.

He wouldn't lie? Well, he was obviously lying at the moment! My eyes narrowed in his direction as he continued to speak about how much of an eevee I was. I began to get annoyed with this voice and I could feel my anger twitching.

The Riolu backed away from me stared down at me. His face was serious and he showed no expression of this being a laughing matter. In fact, he looked like he was more serious than a trainer ready to battle a Gym Leader. He crossed his arms and shook his head. "Well, if you don't believe me, that's fine." The Riolu then turned around and huffed, sticking his muzzle into the air.

I just gave him a -,- look and began to stand up once more. I then looked down and nearly freaked out. "Oh my gosh!" I squealed as I noticed two large dark brown paws. Before I could examine any other part of my body, I fell back down on my belly and groaned. My head then turned slightly to see that I had a creamy-brown colored scruff and fluffy fur. "What…" I murmured.

Riolu turned around quickly and nearly gasped when he saw me fall. "Hey! Get up! Stop slacking there!" He told the me and frowned. "Actually, you look kind of... Ridiculous," He laughed softly. "Oh! By the way, my name is Vex! It's nice to meet you!" He held out his hand.

I had completely ignored him. I was way too distracted at my tail that was flickering. "I can't believe this! I AM AN EEVEE! AHHHHH! HELP MEEEE!" I jumped onto my paws and began to run in circles on the sand and the water. As I made my second way around the riolu, my legs gave out once more and I fell flat on my face and slid in the sand.

Vex face-palmed as he watched the me run around him. "Duh you're an eevee… I tried to tell you that…" He muttered.

I turned to glance at Vex. "Um… Well… Uhhh, where am I?" I asked.

"You're actually near Silvermist Town. It's a wonderful village! I'll show you around!" Riolu offered brightly.

"Not until you give us what we want," A voice sneered from behind the pair.

Both Vex and I turned around and nearly jumped out of their skins when we saw two dark looking Pokémon. A Pawniard and a Houndour.

"Erm… Do you know them?" I whispered softly to the riolu.

"Yeah. Actually, I do. And you're not getting it!" Vex called to them in an annoyed tone.

The two Pokémon began to make their way toward the us. Houndour's eyes were darkened with anger when Vex refused to give them whatever it was they wanted. "We need that more than you do. You're not even part of the guild yet!" The Houndour growled.

Vex looked taken back when the fiery-dark Pokémon growled that to him. "I-I- I will be though!" He tried to say as if he didn't want to sound like he was scared. The Riolu clenched his fist and backed away as the Houndour and Pawniard approached the fighting Pokémon. "Back off!" Vex snapped.

"Ooh. Looks like you have some fighting spirit in you," Pawniard teased him. A loud laugh escaped from the two dark type Pokémon.

I could feel my ears flatten againsy my head and I attempted to stand back up once more. Why were they being so mean to poor Vex? Has he stolen something from them? I looked at the houndour and pawniard who seemed to be very annoyed.

"And who might this be?" Houndour asked as he walked over to the me, fire burning in his cold eyes. He began to circle the me, grinning some. "You must be new, huh? It's not likely to see an eevee. Usually, all eevee's are evolved. You must be weaker than you look!" He sneered at me before laughing and walking back to pawniard.

"Leave her alone!" Vex replied loudly, his hands clenching tighter.

"Ooh. You're being brave? And yet… You can't even stand on the Platform to the guild!" Pawniard laughed.

Vex said nothing, just frowned in defeat. "You-you're right," he murmured sadly and looked down at the sandy beach. "But that doesn't mean you can be mean to my friend!" He snapped.

 _Friend?_ I was already his friend?

Pawniard put of his arms and grinned wickedly. "I'm sooooo scared!" He laughed.

The houndour couldn't help but let out a howling laugh and shake his head. "Again. Just shut up and give us what we want!" He growled, embers beginning to form at the pokémon's muzzle.

"No! Stop! Don't hurt him!" I called out and jumped to stand in front of the riolu. I had to be somewhat brave and I didn't want a fight to start up. I could feel the embers from the houndour hit me. I grunted quietly in pain and began to take a few steps toward the pokémon, hoping the embers would die off soon. After a few seconds, the flames finally died and the houndour stared in surprise. I had finally gained mobility and shook the pain away. I didn't exactly want to be a part of this fight but I wasn't going to let riolu take the beating. Those two versus him wasn't going to end well. It wouldn't matter if I got hurt, but I didn't want to see this Vex guy get hurt. Besides, he probably wouldn't be able to withstand an ember anyway.

"Did that not hurt?!" Houndour growled to the me before running straight at me. He then jumped up and landed, biting me hard and I let out a screech of pain as I felt his teeth dig deeper into my side.

"GET OFF!" I growled in pain as I tried to paw away the fire pokémon. I then began to shake around, trying to loosen the grip of the Houndour who was biting hard. Every time I shook though the bite got harder. Blinded by the pain of his sharp teeth, I began to run around aimlessly and unsure where she was going. The next thing I knew, I had come to a sudden stop against a rock. "OW!" Eevee and houndour growled in unison.

"You have no business being here Coal! Leave us alone!" Vex snapped. "You too, Dusk!"

My head began to spin but at least the houndour let go and began to limp off. The crash into the large rock was pretty painful.

"Let's go, Dusk!" He called and disappeared into the forest that sat not too far from the beach.

Vex turned to face the eevee, now holding his head as though he was in pain. The pokémon let out a soft sigh and his cheeks were slightly red with embarrassment. "Erm… Thank you," He murmured softly.

I staggered away from the rock, shaking the dust and water off my fur and facing Vex. "Huh?" I muttered. Honestly, I didn't really make sense of what he was saying. In fact, I wasn't even listening.

"Uh, thank you!" Vex exclaimed.

She felt a little delusional from crashing into the rock blindly. "Oh. You're welcome," She replied.

"Um…" Vex folded his hands together and looked at the me before nodding slowly. He then raised one of his hands to something that sat on his chest. "What is your name?" He asked me.

"Marcy," I replied softly, now looking up at the riolu.


	3. Chapter Two - Welcome to the Guild?

**Chapter** **Two**

 **Welcome to the Guild...?**

Vex and I sat on the beach for about a half hour or so discussing random things about each other since neither of us had any idea what was going on. I was still confused to as of why I was even turned into Pokémon and Vex was still thinking I was insane! We were now both sitting there silently, questions rising in our heads. Staring out into the sea, I began to think to myself as of to how this had happened and why. Why was I the one changed into a pokémon? Why not someone else? Perhaps this will not be all bad. After all, I had already made a friend.

"Oh! That reminds me, I have a big favor to ask you…" Vex finally spoke up.

"Which is?" I replied quietly. I didn't even glance at him.

"Well. There's this place I've wanted to get into. It's called a Guild. It is a little organization pokémon get involved in to help other pokémon in need," Vex explained as his gaze traveled from the setting sun to his now-shaking hands.

What was he thinking? Why would he ask a random pokémon who thinks she was a human to join the guild?

"A Guild to help pokémon in need of help?" I replied softly as my gaze trailed down my chest to my cream-colored paws. I then realized that eevee's shouldn't have cream-colored paws… Why did I have them? It was strange. I had so many unanswered questions… When will they be answered? The Guild would probably constantly laugh at me if they thought I that I really thought I was supposed to be human. Every day I would hear the same questions, "YOU THINK YOU'RE HUMAN?!" Then they would laugh at me! That would be very hateful. I thought about it for a few minutes. But maybe they could help me and figure this out for me. I can't explore the world of pokémon on my own. I would get lost, probably lose a fight... Eevee's aren't too tough. I knew that for a fact. I had nowhere else to go, so many questions to ask, and yeah. I might as well join. I might as well join.

"Yes. That's it!" Vex smiled.

I finally raised my head to look over at the riolu, who was smiling widely at me. Obviously he _really_ wanted to join this… Guild. I thought back to what those crooks had teased him about. That he couldn't stand on a platform to the guild, whatever _that_ meant. Perhaps he needed someone to stand there for him? Or maybe the platform was for entrance? I wasn't sure. I then nodded slowly looked back down at my paws. "What do you need me for?" I asked. "I'm just an insane Eevee who used to be a human," I muttered.

Vex's smile disappeared and he began to slowly bump his clenched fists together and he stared down at them. He looked pretty cute while doing so too, because his cheeks began to get red with a blush and eyes seemed to be shining with anticipation. "Don't say that! They might know the answer, if that's really the truth," He coughed and looked around awkwardly. "I just… Would like a friend there. Perhaps you and I can even form a team?" He murmured softly, not daring to look at me.

Silence fell between us once more and my gaze turned to Riolu who completely avoided my gaze. His entire face looked flustered and a shade deeper. Or maybe it was just from the setting sun. I couldn't tell, but he did look a little embarrass.

"A team, huh?" I questioned quietly and nodded slowly. What exactly would we do? Just go around helping pokémon? How would that benefit me? I thought of some of the benefits… Food? Possibly. Housing? Definitely. Meeting new pokémon? Yay. I smiled to myself before turning my attention to the sea in front of me. I was actually baffled for words. I had no idea how to reply to a situation such as this. This random pokémon was asking some other random pokémon to help him make a team. I was still confused about everything and how I was suddenly put into a pokémon World with wild Pokémon and no trainers. I used to be a trainer, so why aren't there trainers here? It was very strange. How can he expect me to join a Guild anyway _?_ I probably wouldn't be much help, but oh well. Again, I had nowhere else to go. My dark brown gaze seemed to darken a little with sadness. When I was battling those crooks, I was nervous. I didn't know what I was doing. All I knew was the pain of a houndour's bite! How could he expect me to be brave?

"Why are you asking me?" I asked suddenly.

Vex blinked and then folded his hands together. He turned his head to look at me and he shrugged. "Because… After seeing what you did to Coal today, I thought… I thought you might help me. Please Marcy?" He sounded as though he was begging.

I let out another soft sigh and let the noise of the waves crashing onto the beach fill the air once more. I can't let him go alone. He'll run away again. I stood up on my feet and stretched, then faced the ocean. My fur was shining a fiery-orange color from the sunset and it filled me with joy that Vex _possibly_ trusted me. "Fine. I'll do it," I replied with a firm nod.

Vex jumped up quickly, kicking sand all over the place. He then smiled wider than a pokémon should be able to smile. It was nice to see the smile. "You don't know how much that means to me! Come on! Let's go before its dark!" He then began to run off toward the forest that sat behind the beach.

I blinked and watched Vex disappear into the forest before turning my attention back to the ocean for a few seconds longer. It was such a beautiful sight. The orange filtering from the sun, shimmering like it's never shimmered before. pokémon were enjoying the sunlit ocean as they jumped up and out of the water. It was a marvelous sight. I smiled softly at the scene. Maybe there is an answer out there… I just have to find it. There's a reason I was turned to a pokémon… And I'm going to find out that reason.

"COME ON MARCY!" Vex called.

Jumping and turning around, I turned and began to scamper after the blue and black figure waving to me and flagging me down. I then joyfully went after him. Perhaps joining a 'guild' wouldn't be all so bad. Maybe I will be able to learn more about transforming into an eevee.

By the time we had reached town, the shops were closed. We weren't able to visit any shops which had forced us to go straight to the guild. I actually kind of wanted to see the different shops that sat in Silvermist too! I was a little disappointed that they were all closed! I ignored the thought of the closed stores as we approached a very small looking building. There were two blazing fire pillars sitting in front of the building and lighting it up. The flames danced softly and the soft light bounced onto our skin, lighting us up ever so lightly. The flames mirrored in our eyes. To me, this place looked kind of spooky and mysterious. Not my kind of place either.

"This is it. Cinccino's' Guild," Vex spoke, waving his arms toward the guild. The building was made out of several beautiful stones of all different colors, and the flames from the pillars made it look like the colors on the sea of the sun setting. (Cobblestone, basically.) There was no main shape to it. It looked kind of dull and boring.

I examined the building in curiosity, wondering what was in store for us behind the doors. Did friendly pokémon exist here? Or rude pokémon who don't want another team? I was actually nervous. How could such a small building hold as many pokémon as Vex had mentioned while on our way here? He said there were over at least 30 members. Perhaps they all didn't live here… I didn't know. It's not like I've ever been here before! "What do we do?" I asked softly.

Vex took a soft sigh and then stepped forward. "Exactly as I do," He boasted and stepped on this metal-gate like thing in the ground. I could tell he was a little nervous to do so. The way he carried himself onto the gate gave it away. When he actually stood on the gate, he tensed up and began to play with his fingers. He was definitely nervous.

"pokémon DETECTED. pokémon DETECTED!" A voice boomed from underground, causing both of us to jump. That voice was _l_ oud.

"A pokémon? This LATE?! UGH. Whose foot?" Another voice boomed.

"RIOLU's FOOTPRINT. RIOLU's FOOTPRINT!"

"That same pokémon who constantly comes and then runs away? HEY! WHOSE THAT OTHER POKéMON WITH YOU?!" The second voice boomed.

"PLEASE MOVE AND ALLOW THE OTHER pokémon TO STEP ON THE PLATE." The first voice boomed.

I began to shake. This was pretty scary. I can now see why Vex was often scared away. It was a loud voice coming from nowhere. Surely that spooked most pokémon out. How did they know another pokémon was here in the first place? Do they have cameras? Other gates? I quickly glanced down toward my paws and then shook my head. No gates. My gaze then scanned the building and I frowned. No cameras… Then how did they know? Maybe they could smell me. Maybe it was a pokémon with a big nose that knew how to smell out other pokémon. Like, maybe... A houndour? Or maybe a drowzee? Could drowzee's smell pokémon?

Vex looked over his shoulder at me. "T-they m-must be talking about y-you," He said shakily and backed off of the gate. He then motioned me forward and pointed to the gate. "Ju-just stand there," He ordered.

I was now reconsidering the 'guild' thing. Maybe I could just turn around and forget everything that happened today and wake up from this dream! Oh that sounds like a great plan. I glanced at Vex and then frowned, flattening my ears. I couldn't let Vex down. That would be mean, and I was _not_ going to bea mean pokémon! I had already said I would join. I took a deep breath and began to slowly move toward the gate. As I reached the metal gate my paws instantly froze at the cold touch of the bars. "Ummm," I murmured.

"Pokémon DETECTED. Pokémon DETECTED." The first voice boomed. "UNRECOGNIZED FOOTPRINT."

There was silence for a few moments before the other voice boomed, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW WHOSE FOOTPRINT THAT IS?! YOU ARE SLACKING ON THE JOB!"

"UHH… POKéMON FOOT DETECTED. EEVEE, POSSIBLY. EEVEE, POSSIBLY!" The voice replied.

Vex and I exchanged glances. I knew we were both a little spooked out to as of why these pokémon were acting the way they were. Not only were they louder than anything I've ever heard, but they seemed beyond annoyed. It was a little strange to not be able to see anyone and voices just randomly pop up out of nowhere. And how did they not know my footprint? Aren't eevee's common around here? Wait, _evolved e_ evee's are. I had forgotten, I was just a little pipsqueak!

"POSSIBLY? UGH. HOLD ON!" The voice yelled. There was a big crash, causing me to jump back and away from the gate. Within a few seconds, two figures came through the door and glared at each other. There was a huge silhouette and then a smaller one. The two pokémon stood there and were now staring at Vex and I.

"Okay. So, you're an eevee that is strangely not evolved… And you're that same riolu who keeps showing up and then leaving," The large icy-blue pokémon spoke. "I can't believe you disturbed us so late, " He muttered, face-palming.

"You're an idiot. You know this could've been an ambushed and you decided to come up here," The smaller pokémon muttered, glaring up at the big one.

"Oh shut up. You go tell Cinccino to invest in cameras then," The ice-pokémon growled back at the smaller one. He looked as though he could easily shred that smaller one with his big claws.

My eyes grew wide at how large the pokémon was. I have seen this pokémon before! Argh. What was it? Large. Furry. A beard like thing? OH! It was a beartic! It was a huge beartic and he looked pretty pissed. He doesn't look like he would only shred the little guy but, he looked like he would shred me too for disturbing them so late. I backed up some, nearly falling down the ledge that the guild sat on. However, I caught myself. "Uhh," I stammered. I then looked at the smaller pokémon whose' arms were crossed and an annoyed look sat on his face.

"You know, it's not often a normal Eevee shows up to the guild," Beartic announced, glaring down at the two pokémon. "In fact, they're usually all evolved." He then turned to look to the smaller Pokémon, Vex's and mine gaze following. He said the exact thing as that other pokémon did. _Evolved._

"Obviously she's not from around here. What brings you two to the guild?" The drilbur asked, his gaze going between us.

Vex gulped and nervously replied, "Erm. W-we want for f-form a team."

" _You're_ going to form a team?" Beartic asked and his voice turning into a laugh.

"That's right!" Vex replied, trying to sound brave. He stomped his foot and puffed his chest out slightly, giving that 'heroic look' again.

I watched him. I then thought to myself about how Vex was trying to be brave. Perhaps he wanted to impress the pokémon that ran the guild. I'm sure the guild wouldn't want such a lousy, cowardly pokémon to join. I smiled slightly though. His heroic stance needed some work but I thought it was adorable how he tried so hard. One moment he was being scared and the next moment he acted like he ruled the world. I giggled quietly to myself.

"We can't turn down pokémon who may or may not have potential. If a pokémon team comes all this way to us, we take them in," Drillbur explained. "Despite the time and the fact that most pokémon teams usually come during the day and sleep at night... Except for those weird nocturnal pokémon. I don't know how they do it."

"Form a team… Hrm… Okay, come along you two. We shall go meet the Guild Master," Beartic turned and ducked inside the doorway and made his way down the stairs.

Vex and I looked at each other, and I noticed the worry that sat on his face. I was just as worried as he was. What if they didn't like us? What if they thought low of us? What if they were super pissed off that we disturbed them so late? I frowned and then we slowly went after Beartic and Drilbur who began to whisper quietly.

"What do you think they're saying?" I whispered to Vex.

Vex frowned and shook his head. "Probably nothing positive," He mumbled sadly.

I just frowned in response. What if they really were talking badly? What if they said we weren't good enough?! What if something happens?!

We made our way down some stairs that were lit up with flames, like a flame on a Charmander's tail. It was really pretty though! The walls were! There were pictures of, I was guessing, past members and guild leaders. It was very impressive. There wasn't much detail in the walls, but if you really paid attention you could see what looked like paw prints, lines, and little detail, of pokémon who were here the day this thing was built. It was so pretty. I couldn't tell anyone what any of these indents were, I could probably learn though...

We then came to the end of the hallway where a pillar sat. On top of that pillar was a very, very well-groomed cinccino. She was standing beside an ampharos who was grinning widely. I was assuming these were the guild leaders. I starred at the picture for a moment.

"Come along!" Beartic called back over his shoulder. He then disappeared down another flight of stairs.

We followed after him, my gaze still on the picture behind us. I then lost footing and toppled down the stairs, hard. I had tumbled into Vex and nearly tumbled into the two larger pokémon who just simply stepped aside. Yes, the staircase was that wide. Wide enough so a beartic's belly wouldn't get touched by us.

I then came to a flat stop at the bottom of stairs. "Owww!" I groaned, staring at the roof. "I'm sorry," I murmured to Vex who had broken my fall. I sat up quickly, sittting still while the spinning of the room continued. When it was finally gone, I jumped to all fours and shook my head. I gazed around the non-spinning room and smield. It was huge! There were two desk in the room, but I had not a single clue what they were there for. There were several doors that lead to...I don't know that either. There were just hallways and doors and everything! Even cushions in this room that pokémon could sit on with their groups or even other pokémon! It was such a boring room though. The walls were just plain and had no color. The only color there was were the cushions and desk. I began to look around the room some more but I realized something... Where was everyone? There was no pokémon in this room.

"Are you all right?" Vex asked me, putting a hand on my shoulder-blade and dusting himself off with his other hand. "You should be more careful! Because that really hurt!"

I nodded in response and frowned before shaking the dirt from me. "What is this place?" I asked Beartic who was laughing quietly at me.

"This is the main room for the guild," Beartic explained as he motioned around the bright room. "Over there leads to the tunnels for apprentices, and over there is the way to the mess hall… And if you look this way, that is the tunnel meant for any members who wish to stay here while visiting or even staying with the guild. In other words, that hall is for older members who have nowhere else to go. And if you look this way, you will see the door that leads to the healing room. As in, any pokémon who is majorly injured, poisoned, paralyzed or so will be rushed there and will be cared for by the healers, Audino and Blissey." Beartic pointed in many directions motioning to the different tunnels that lead to the different places.

"Where are the other Exploration Teams, Beartic?" Vex asked him, looking around.

"They're asleep. Like I should be. But _nooo,_ I was put on the night shift!" Beartic groaned and looked down at Drilbur. "You may return to your post, Drilbur. As will I when I get Guild Master Cinccino." Beartic nodded at the small pokémon who nodded as well. Drilbur then went to the sides of the staircase and dug a hole and disappeared into it. Above the hole was a huge bulletin board.

"Check this out, Marcy!" Vex gasped as he followed to where Drilbur. He looked up at the huge board that sat in front of him. Several pictures and 'WANTED' posters were on the board.

I trailed after him and put my front paws on the wall to get a closer look. Thieves had been noted and a reward too if captured and brought back to the guild. "Wow. There's so many!" I gasped.

"Right? Look at this one," Vex reached up to one of the highest WANTED posters. He took it down and looked at it carefully. There was a picture of a Nuzleaf on the front and a certain type of berry on the bottom of the page. "It reads, _Help! Nuzleaf stole a bunch of Oran Berries and I need them back! Reward:"_ Vex stopped talking and I tried to see the poster but I couldn't see it. "200 Pokédollars?! NO WAY!" He let out a loud cheer, only to be shushed by Beartic who was growling as he came up behind them.

"Right this way, Cinccino." Beartic coughed and took a step back.

Vex and I turned around to see a tired-looking Cinccino walking toward us, her hands behind her back. Her fur looked slightly messy like she had been sleeping. Her eyes were very tired looking and one could still see the crust. "Greetings young ones," She spoke.

We dipped our heads in greeting to her and Vex spoke up, "Hello."

"I was informed you want to form an Exploration Team?" She asked us quietly.

This was it. This was the moment we would get to become a helping team. Not just a team, but a bond between my new friend. Yes, Vex was my friend. He was the first one there to help me when I woke up. Who knows what would've happened. I'm sure I could've made-do on my own but this Vex just made me feel less lonely. I remember when I was a human I had poképals. But... I don't know what happened to them either. I don't remember anything.

"Yes!" Vex cheered happily, his eyes shining with hope.

Cinccino smiled and she nodded. "That's great! Welcome to the family. You will meet back with me tomorrow morning and we will get everything situated. For now, get some sleep. Beartic will take you to your room." She cheered and turned away from us and disappeared behind huge doors.

I blinked. That's all there was to it? No questions? No nothing? Just a 'welcome to the family'? There was something suspicious about that. Wow. That's… So strange. Why didn't we get asked anything? Were we really accepted into the guild?

Beartic grunted and face-palmed. "Right. So, follow me and I will lead you to your rooms you will be staying in. BE QUIET THOUGH," He glared at the riolu who was about to cheer again.

I glanced over at Vex and he nodded, his eyes still shining with happiness. I could tell this is going to be totally worth it. He was happy, I had a place to stay, and I was going to help pokémon. I was also going to get food!

Beartic led us down the hall he had pointed out that Apprentices would be in. I could see other rooms along the way to our room, which was at the end of the hallway. As we walked into our room, there were two straw beds that had a few feathers surrounding them. "Straw?" I murmured to myself and flicked an ear. They wanted us to sleep on straw beds?!

"There's your room. Go now and sleep. You are getting up very early tomorrow. Goodnight." Beartic left quickly and very agitated.

I watched him walk away before looking out a window. I stared in awe as I got closer to the window. It was a large round window and I could see the beach from there. In fact, it looked as though the building was built on the beach. I smiled in happiness, staring at the moonlit ocean. It was amazing. "Look at this Vex!" I squealed quietly.

Vex took his place beside me and stared out the window. His eyes grew wide at the view. "WOW! We got lucky with this room! Look! You can barely see Pokémon out there. I'm surprised Pokémon are out this late," He shrugged and turned away.

I also turned away from the window and looked around the room. There were two little lights that sat in two corners of the room, lighting it up ever so slightly. The room didn't have much in it. There was a table against the wall and there was nothing on it. The room was empty and kind of lonely. But it's okay. I wasn't completely lonely. I did have my new friend, Vex, who seemed to be more excited than I have ever been. He must have desperately wanted into this guild. I wonder why he couldn't do it before… I then began to poke at the straw bedding closest to the window, trying to maneuver it so that it wouldn't be comfortable. I didn't exactly prefer the straw bedding, but I get what I get I guess. I then laid down in it, curling up tightly. A yawn had escaped me. I was exhausted for some unknown reason. Perhaps it was a side effect to my 'transforming into a Pokémon' thing. I was really tired and couldn't wait to sleep. My tail tip was barely resting on my nose and I watched as Vex got comfortable too.

"So this is it," Vex murmured as he stared out the window at the ocean.

I nodded and smiled some. "I'm not exactly… Excited to start this so-called training," I sighed.

Vex laughed softly and shook his head. "It'll be fun! We'll meet the other teams and Pokémon tomorrow!" He said happily.

I giggled softly and closed my eyes. "I guess you're right. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." He murmured sleepily.


	4. Chapter Three - Silvermist Town

**Chapter Three**

 **Silvermist Town**

Darkness. That's all I saw. It was complete and sheer darkness surrounding me. Why was it so dark? I tried to let out a call for help and to see if anyone else was around me. There was no reply. Just silence filling the dark place. Where was everyone? Why couldn't I see anything? I let out another bellowing howl to see if anyone was around me. Once again there was no response. Perhaps it was still night. If it was, wouldn't I be able to feel something around me? The straw bedding that I was forced upon? Why wasn't it there anymore? I shook my head and began to walk through the pitch black. I wasn't sure where I was headed for it was an endless trail of black. There were no trees, no stars, and no grass beneath my furry paws. My body was suddenly frozen. I tried to move and I tried to yell out for help but it didn't work. I was stuck. The only thing I could move were my dark brown eyes which were scanning the dark shadows around me. Why couldn't I move?! This was insane! Again, I tried to scream out for help and nothing came out. My mouth felt as though it were glued shut. That's when I heard voices, when I heard shouting. The voices were so faint though. I still couldn't see who was around me. The voices… They were so loud yet unclear. It was strange. " _Hello?!_ " I tried to once more call out. Instead all I heard was my voice inside my head.

The voices around me turned into laughter and three very, very faint figures began to show up. I couldn't make out any one of them. I could hardly see the outlined shadows. What were they? Who were they? And why had they frozen me?

"You don't get it do you?!" The voice finally became clear and it was obvious that it wasn't very happy. "If we don't get what we need, _nothing_ will go right! Now go out there and GET WHAT WE NEED! Or else!"

I wanted to gasp in fear. I wanted to run away from the scene but I couldn't. I was still frozen in air, listening to these voices. What did they mean by that? Or else what? Was this a good thing or a bad thing?

"WAKE UP TIME! GET UP! GET READY FOR YOUR FIRST DAY!" A loud voice boomed.

I was suddenly wide awake. My head had shot up and I stared around the room I had stayed in overnight. My gaze was wide with fear as I scanned the small den and my eyes fell onto the two Pokémon that stood in front of me. There was Vex and that Beartic I had met yesterday. There wasn't another figure. Everything was clear to me. It was just a dream.

"You are FINALLY awake, Marcy!" Vex beamed happily as he turned to quickly look my way.

I could see the little grains of sand-dirt in the corner of his wide amber-red eyes. I could also see the excitement that lit up his eyes. He was definitely ready for the day. How could he be awake so early though? My gaze turned away from the two Pokémon and I looked out the round window beside my nest. The sun wasn't even up! Why were _we_ up when the sun was still sinking behind the clouds? Well, there was barely any light outside. However, it was just enough to see something running along the beach. They were pokémon, perhaps gathering to watch the sunrise. I wanted to be out there… I don't ever remember seeing a sunrise in my life but it's just as beautiful as a sunset. I could see the small pokémon running on the beach, cheering happily as they ran. Their smiles were barely visible. It was nice to see smaller pokémon getting up early and enjoying their day from the start. However, I thought they were a little insane they even wanted to get up this early. A soft sigh escaped from me as I finally turned away from the Pokémon to focus my gaze on the tunnel where Vex was still beaming.

"Come along now Marcy!" He beamed and motioned me to follow his happy self. How could a Pokémon be this happy in the morning?

"Coming…" I mumbled sleepily and trailed out of the den and after my pokémon partner and into the main room.

As we reached the main room of the Guild, many of the guild members stared our direction. Instantly, I felt shy and nervous because they were just staring at us. Some of their voices even became hushed as we entered the room. Maybe they didn't like us. Or maybe they didn't want us there. They don't have to stare at us like that! We're just two more Pokémon! Maybe they already know I'm crazy. Perhaps Vex opened his big mouth and made it clear to them that I thought I was a human. I could hear it now, 'Do you know anything about a human turning into a pokémon?' I could even envision him saying that!

"Vex… They're all staring at us like we're crazy," I mumbled to him. I didn't know what else to say to Vex – if I should have said anything at all. My heart began to pound in my furry chest and I could have sworn that all these Pokémon were looking at me like I was scared of them! I wasn't scared, just a little nervous… They didn't know what I was. I was just another eevee. A special one, if that. If I was to tell anyone that I used to be a human, they would definitely think I'm crazy. No one would want to be my friend. Maybe no one wants to be my friend now. My ears fell flat against my head.

"They just don't know us, Marcy!" Vex replied to me and nudged me in my shoulder with his elbow. He glanced down at me and smiled brightly. Though, anyone could tell that he was just as nervous as I was.

"WELCOME TO THE GUILD OF SILVERMIST TOWN! Or Cinccino's Guild!" A loud voice roared.

The loud and very random voice caused me to jump at least two inches off the ground. Now I definitely looked like a fool! I landed flat on my feet and crouched close to the ground. The fur on my neck stood up right and my eyes were wide. My entire body was shivering with fear.

Vex laughed beside me and grinned as he heard the voice. "Thank you. Don't mind her; she's still learning on how to be spooked!"

A low growl sounded from me when Vex said that. I then straightened myself and began to flatten my fur that had poofed out. "Err… Hi," I murmured quietly. Turning around, I noticed a very tall yellow Pokémon with a red ball on its head and black striped ears. He also had two stripes on his neck. I know I've seen this kind of pokémon before. But where? Where have I seen him before?

As if reading my mind and answering my question, the blue and black pokémon beside me gasped. "You're an Ampharos?! No way!" He sounded very excited to see an Ampharos.

He smiled in response and nodded, holding a clipboard close to his white chest. "I am. I so am! My name is Ampharos and I welcome you to Cinccino's guild. Please, take a look around before we get started with our group meeting." He motioned to the large space around us before trailing off, his red balled tail swishing back and forth behind him. "EVERYONE MUST GREET AND BE NICE TO THE NEW TEAM OR YOU WILL HAVE CHORES TO DO, AND NOT THE FUN ONES EITHER!" He suddenly yelled across the floor and then entered the room that lead to Cincinno's room.

"Wow. He seems nice…" Vex chuckled softly, putting an arm behind his head.

Everyone immediately fell silent at Ampharos's request. I felt flushed when he said that because I felt as though someone else, other than Vex and I, might actually care that there is a new team! Or maybe he is like that with everyone, loud.

"Hi!" A voice sounded from the side of us.

Vex and I both turned to look at the voice. We then both gasped at a large pokémon sitting in front of us, a beautiful pokémon at that. She was a very tall Milotic and yet very beautiful. How could one forget such beauty in a pokémon?

"Wow…" Vex whispered softly, obviously amazed at Milotic's rainbow colored scales and just Milotic herself.

A soft smile showed on the large pokémon as she gazed down at us. "Yes. Well. I just wanted to say hello and welcome. If you ever need any assistance or advice, ask for Team Beauty. Oh. I must be going now! Or I'll be late. The others will definitely not be happy if I'm late. Too-da-loos!" She waved her large tail at us before slithering off and disappearing up the stairs.

"Wow…" Vex whispered again.

A soft laughter just barely sounded from me. I then poked the riolu in his arm, rather hard, and turned away from him. "Oh hush. Come on, Beartic is back outside that room!" I told him before making my way toward the large ice Pokémon. As I reached him, the other Pokémon had fallen silent and the entire room was quiet. I began to wonder why they had all gotten so quiet so quickly. Did I have something embarrassing on me and they didn't want to say? I froze in place and sat down. Maybe the guild just didn't like me. I wouldn't know.

"Okey-Dokey guildies!" A new, but familiar voice, sounded in the room. "We have tons and tons to do today! Yay!" The voice cheered. "FIRST! Let me introduce you to the new team! TEAM COMET!" The pokémon pointed in our direction.

I was totally confused. Team Comet? Was she directing it at us? She was pointing at Vex and I, so I'm assuming we were known as Team Comet… Though, we haven't even thought of a team name yet or even told this pokémon anything about our team name. I looked at everyone who was staring in our direction. My embarrassment faded away and replaced with confusion.

Vex elbowed my side and I glanced up at him. He was smiling widely and he wiggled his eyebrows. "Do you like it? I hope you do! I like it. But I like everything." He put a finger to his mouth and looked up before shrugging. "Oh well! You better like it."

I had no time to respond because he ran off and toward the pokémon who was still introducing us. I sat there, staring. I was so confused. WHAT WAS GOING ON?!

"This is Vex! And this is Marcy! And who am I?!" The pokémon waved her gray and white arms before smiling.

"GUILD MASTER CINCCINO!" Everyone yelled, besides me of course.

My head was spinning. I wanted to disappear.

"Anyway, NOW DOWN TO THE REAL BUSINESS!" Guild Master Cinccino clapped her hands and then snapped one of her fingers. As she did so, everyone instantly formed into a few lines – at least the few people who were there.

These pokémon were so obedient; it was kind of scary. I gazed around the lines before my gaze fell on Vex who was motioning me to an empty spot next to him – NEAR THE FRONT OF THE GROUP. What the crud. Why was he making us sit at the front of the group where EVERYONE can see me?! I took a very deep breath and made my way toward the group, being careful I didn't bump into anyone. I could feel their gazes burning into my fur and it was kind of nerve wrecking. As I reached the front of the group and took my seat next to Vex, Cinccino turned and stared me down. What a creepy Pokémon… I tried my best to avoid her gaze by licking my furry chest and then scanning the walls behind her. I then saw Ampharos with a clipboard in his hands and a stern look.

"Now that introductions are out of the way, I have things that just have to be done," Cinccino began and then looked at the other pokémon as she paced back and forth in front. "Um. Well. There's not much to say, actually." She looked away from the group and turned her back to us, thinking.

I nearly fell on the floor as I witnessed the way this guild leader was acting. She wasn't exactly the brightest. I kind of expected her to be bossy, mean, and demanding. I guess I was very, very wrong.

"OH! Um. Just… GO EXPLORE! DO MISSIONS! AND HAVE FUN!" Cinccino suddenly cheered. "Do it with high confidence too! OR ELSE! TA-TA!" She waved at us and walked away to these double doors, which I am assuming, is her room.

Everyone began to dismiss and walk away. They were walking up to two different boards that were separated by the large, and yet fancy, stairwell. I sat there and watched everyone before turning to Vex who had beamed over to Ampharos. "He sure is an active one," I found myself murmuring before making my way over to the two.

"Okay… You two will go to town and be introduced to the shops around. Hrm… GIBLE! Come here please," Ampharos called and held the clipboard close to his chest.

Vex and I looked in the direction that Ampharos called in only to see a little blue and red Pokémon. I tilted my head some. I have never seen a Gible before. I don't think… I can't remember.

"Yes Ampharos?!" He asked, his eyes sparkling with happiness. For some odd reason, Gible looked happy to be called over by Ampharos. Perhaps he was a new member too.

"Please take Team Comet to town and show them around, please," Ampharos demanded.

The little Gible, I could have sworn, jumped at least an inch or two off the ground when Ampharos said that. I smiled some, highly amused at his excitement. Why was it that everyone seemed to be excited but me? I was nervous.

" No problem Ampharos! We'll go now!" He raced out of the room like there was no time to waste. He even kicked up dirt when he raced out. It was kind of shame that he ran so fast. I was in no mood to be running around like this.

"Thanks Ampharos!" Vex cheered happily and went after Gible.

I was left there awkwardly with the large yellow electric Pokémon. "Erm… Bye!" I then darted after the two Pokémon who had kicked up a bunch of dust.

We were shown around Silvermist Town. It was a beautiful little town and everyone seems to know each other. It was a friendly town as well. Wherever we went, Vex, Gible, and I were all greeted. Vex and I were always introduced to the pokémon around town as well. It was very sweet, actually. I hated being put on spotlight though. I don't enjoy being put on spotlight. There are several shops in the small town and they were all close to each other. It was very peaceful to see everyone getting along so sweetly. Young pokémon were running around town, happily chasing one another. The town had many shops as well. More than five at least! There was a little shop known as SimiShops' (which is a shop that sells basically everything ran by a Simisear and a Simisage.) They seemed very friendly too! Across from the SimiShop's was Ludicolo's Storage (which is basically what it sounds like) run by, of course, a Ludicolo. He was so happy. I guess he was just happy to see new pokémon! Closer to the guild (which is east of the town) sits Bellosom's Accessories (for teams and young pokémon who want to get, I guess, ribbons and clothing and what not.) Across from that store was an ADORABLE little cooking shop that was ran by the cutest Mime Jr. I have ever seem! Well, her mentor, a Grumpig, owns it but still! They were adorable! That's all the stores that Gible had taken us too so far. I know there's more, because Vex keeps going on and on about different stores. He said there was a bank ran by a Kirlia.

"Well, that is Silvermist Town so far!" Gible cheered and turned to look at us. A large smile sat on his face. He was about to speak once more when a very, very small Pokémon came up to us, its eyes full of fear.

"HELP HELP!" The young Pokémon squealed.

The loud squealing voice had caused me to jump and land, knocking Vex over. I grinned at him, embarrassed by my actions before turning to face the little pokémon. I then noticed a smaller Pokémon behind it seeming just as terrified as this one.

"Igglybuff? Cleffa? What are you doing here? Where are your Parents?" Gible demanded sternly.

Both Gible's and Vex's mood changed. I looked at the small pokémon and frowned. They were very, very terrified and I couldn't figure out why.

"Shouldn't you be at the daycare?" Vex asked sadly.

I just stood there watching Vex and Gible talk to these young pokémon thinking. What had happened? They look like they have been crying. Their eyes were bright red and kind of poufy too. I wanted to ask what was going on but Gible and Vex had already started asking questions.

The two baby Pokémon exchanged glances and tears began to form again. "WE DON'T KNOW WHERE OUR PARENTS ARE!" They cried out loud together.

Igglybuff sniffled and stared at us in fear and replied, "Mother said that she would be back before lunch time and in the morning after she went to go collect berries!"

Cleffa nodded in agreement. "And my mother went with her mother and they said they would be able to eat lunch with us! THEY'RE NOT BACK!" She cried and hugged Igglybuff.

I flattened my ears in fear and steadily took a step forward. I nudged the two gently and softly spoke, "Hey. It's okay. Maybe they're just late." I was trying to be somewhat positive. "Trust me; parents tend to run late a lot." I wasn't just going with what I thought would calm them down. The two baby pokémon stopped crying some and just stared up at me. Their eyes were still watery though.

"Mother is never late, stranger! NEVER! Something happened to her, I know it!" Igglybuff snapped.

Vex gave a ^_^; kind of look and put his hands out. "Calm down," He told them gently and kneed down closer to their height. "Can you tell me where they went?" He asked.

Gible frowned and was looking around Silvermist Town as if he was looking for the parents.

I felt so bad for them. They must be scared out of their minds! To be so young and worried about your parents is tough. I wonder what happened to their parents, if anything happened.

"Momma told me she was going to a place near the beach. They usually always go there but they haven't returned! Um. It's called The Honey Forest or something like that…" Cleffa replied and looked down at the ground. She was still hugging Igglybuff.

"Honeyfall Forest, that's what you must be talking about," Gible spoke up and nodded firmly. His dark eyes rested on Vex and I. "I will take them to the Daycare. You both need to go to Honeyfall Forest. Ampharos will understand and I'll speak with him when I drop them off. Okay?"

I blinked. He wanted us to go where? Honeyfall Forest… It sounds like a very peaceful place and very sweet. I began to think of the honey that might be lurking on the trees. Yumm. I smiled and looked at Vex. "We should go soon then."

Vex nodded in agreement. "Let us. Gible, make sure they're kept calm while we go. If you can't get to Ampharos before we return, it'll be okay." He flashed him a faithful smile and looked at the two baby Pokémon. "We will be back, okay? We'll see if we can find your parents and we'll let them know you're worried about them. Let's go Marcy!" He ran off toward the beach.

I looked at Igglybuff and Cleffa and smiled in assurance. "Of course we will." I then ran off after Vex. We were seriously about to go on our first Exploration.


	5. Chapter Four - What a Mega-Surprise!

**Chapter Four**

 **What a Mega-Surprise!**

I was a little confused to as of where we were going, but I assumed Vex knew what places were around Silvermist Town better than I did. I had quickly followed after the riolu, looking at the amazing scenery around me. The trees were thick and full of multi-colored leaves. I couldn't help but get a bit distracted and pounce in the little piles of leaves that sat on the ground. I probably looked very young and babyish but I enjoyed the fall time. It was just such an amazing area.

My eevee paws hit the forest floor gently, causing any fallen leaf to go _'crunch'._ I attempted to not get distracted by the leaves around me. Then all of a sudden, something large and dark 'whooshed' by me. I even fell on my behind because whatever had darted past me had caused that much force up beside me. I was now sitting there, looking younger than how I acted. Great. Vex must think I'm a child. My gaze rested on Vex who was staring blankly into the distance. He looked as dumbfounded as I did! What had passed us so quickly? "What was that?" I asked out of the blue to Vex.

Vex's dark amber-red gaze turned to me. He just shrugged and replied, "I'm not sure…" He then took off after that figure.

I stared after the pokémon who had randomly started to run. Did he really think he was going to be able to catch up to that pokémon? I doubt it… We weren't exactly the quickest breeds of Pokémon. But hey, maybe we'll get to Honeyfall Forest faster! I used quick-attack several times to catch up with Vex and avoid that trees and stumps that poked out of the ground. I didn't even know I knew quick-attack but every pokémon has too start out with something, right? It wasn't exactly the safest thing to be running this fast through such a huge forest. One could easily get lost here. As long as I stayed near Vex and the sun stayed out, I should be okay. "Wait for me Vex!" I called up to him.

He just barely glanced over his shoulder at me before turning his attention back to where he was running.

"LOOK OUT!" I called as I realized that he had turned his attention toward me for just a second too long.

It was too late. Vex had crashed hard into a tree, causing leaves to scatter down all around him. He hit that tree and fell backwards. A soft groan could be heard from him. The blue and black pokémon was lying flat on his back and his hands were pressed against his forehead as if pain throbbed through his head. It looked very, very painful.

I made my way toward him and towered over him to make sure he was okay. "V-Vex? A-are you okay?" I murmured. I had to hold in my laugh, I just had to. It was the funniest thing I have seen in forever. Just to see someone run straight into a tree and fall backwards? Hahah. Painful, but funny. Vex didn't answer me right away. All he did was open his eyes a little and stare up toward the sky. "Good. You're okay," I smiled and nudged the pokémon to sit up.

With the help of me, Vex sat up straight and groaned a little more in pain. He rubbed his head some and frowned. "That really hurt…!" He huffed and then got up, slowly and kind of clumsily. As he stood up, he swayed to the side some and it looked as though he was going to fall and bust his head.

"Hey! Easy now!" I scolded the riolu and stood beside him, allowing him to lean on me some so he could regain his movement.

"Right, right," He murmured and looked up at the tree he had run into. He stubbornly crossed his arms and looked away. "This tree got in my way."

I couldn't help but laugh softly and grin at him. The tree got in his way… Of course it did! I smiled some before watching his reaction completely change from stubborn to being completely shocked. He even let out a scream! I examined Vex and noticed a big glob of something golden-brown and shiny sitting on the middle of his forehead.

"GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" He screamed. Vex then began to run around in circles with his arms flailing out beside him. "GET IT OFF NOWW!" He yelled and continued to run in circles.

I gently sat down and watched him run in circles. It was adorable, the way he ran. He looked so innocent and silly. "Erm," I murmured to myself and shook my head. I couldn't focus what was sitting on his forehead when a glob of the same golden-brown color dropped by my paws. Ignoring Vex running in circles and most likely to fall and bust something, I bent down and sniffed at it. The sweet aroma instantly filled me. What was it? I've smelled this before. It was so delicious smelling, as if it was always used to make a recipe perfect. All of a sudden, images flashed through my mind. I could see something but it looked like a shadow running around. Then it faded. I blinked and all sounds around me became silent as I began to think of these images that just flashed through my mind. I then instantly recognized the smell. "Honey?" I whispered softly and licked at the honey that was now resting in a blob on the ground. The taste was dulcet. It was perfect and I enjoyed every single bit of it. The taste danced on my tongue as I savored the flavor of the delicious honey.

"WHY ARE YOU EATING THIS POKEMON?" Vex yelled at me, still trying to shake his head. "That's disgusting! It could be a goomy or something!"

My attention then was brought back to riolu who was still running in circles. I watched him for a few seconds as the honey dripped down his back and gave his fur a golden-brown tint to it. "VEX! Calm down. It's _just_ honey!" I tried to speak to him.

Vex began to stop running in circles and now stopped only a few feet away from me. The honey had definitely gone down his back and was now staining his fur. It didn't look very comfortable either… Honey tends to get sticky. Vex placed a hand on his head and wiped at some of the honey so that it was sit on his fingers. He then plopped his fingers into his mouth and tasted it. "Oh! It is just honey." He was now laughing as he shook himself, trying to be free of the honey. It wasn't going to come off for a while…

"GET AWAY FROM MY HONEY TREEEEEEEEEEE!" A voice hissed from above us.

Vex and I both slowly looked up to see a flying Pokémon just buzzing near the tree that Vex had crashed into. "Is that… a Pinsir?" I asked, completely ignoring the threat hidden behind the pokémon's voice.

"NO! That's a Heracross!" Vex sighed over to me.

"Heracross…" I mocked quietly and stared up at the Pokémon who was giving us basically the death glare. I ignored it though. "It looks like a Beedrill!"

"How does that look anything like a beedrill? It looks more like a pinsir than a beedrill!"

"Huh?" I murmured and tilted my head, staring at the Heracross some more. I cheered, "OOOOH! Okay, it IS a heracross!"

"I SAID GET AWAY!" A bright beam began to form at his mouth. He was collecting the little light that leaked into the forest from above all of the autumn trees.

"RUNNNN!" Vex and I screamed in unison and we both took off before the heracross could fire the painful Hyperbeam. The beaming and bright light had formed and the heracross fired it in our direction. It was brighter than the sun shining above us! We were kicking up the colorful and bright leaves as we darted around the trees and tree stumps, trying to avoid any more pain of crashing into trees. I leaped ahead of Vex and continued to run as fast as my little legs would carry me. It was complicated avoiding trees and trying to jump over things because of how little I was. Then again, most eevee's were little.

As soon as we were far enough, I began to slow down and pant heavily. Now _that_ was a work out. Running from an angry heracross whom assumed we stole its honey. Of course we wouldn't steal it! Unless we were desperate. Since we weren't stealing anything, I was very confused to as of why it was so protective of its honey. There were so many things I didn't know about pokémon in this pokémon world with talking pokémon. It was still all confusing. I sat down near a pile of leaves and looked around; hoping Vex hadn't gotten caught up in the mess behind us. Luckily, he was standing only a few inches away from me, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. The trees that we were near were now quiet. There were no buzzing sounds of bug pokémon and I didn't see any other [okémon but Vex and I. I wonder how far we had run from the angry Heracross. Hopefully we weren't lost. That lucious smell of honey hit me again, and I smiled. This was definitely Honeyfall Forest. There was honey all over the place. In the trees, in the grass, over on the rocks… and I savored that smell for a few seconds before standing up tall and shaking out my fur.

"What a rush!" I exclaimed. I kicked at the pile of leaves beside me and then scanned the surrounding for any signs of Cleffa or Igglybuff's mothers. There was nothing but complete silence. I frowned. Why did it have to be so difficult to find something or someone? Maybe we weren't on the right path, considering the fact we were chased away from our path because of the stupid Heracross.

"Okay," Vex spoke as he caught his breath. "We are still in Honeyfall Forest and we need to stay on…" He paused and then continued, "Some path. We can't risk the opportunity to walk straight through the forest and run into any other angry bug pokémon."

What did he mean _some_ path?! Were we lost? I tried not to look panicked as I looked around. Maybe we were lost. However, I didn't know what Honeyfall Forest was like. It seemed fairly big to me. Hopefully Vex still knows where we are going. Another sigh escaped me. "Hopefully we'll find them soon. I'm kind of hungry and I don't want to steal any honey from the trees…" I spoke to Vex and he nodded in agreement. "Besides, how big can Honeyfall Forest be?" I asked.

Vex shook his head and smiled. "It's not very big, actually. Come this way," He told me quietly and ran ahead of me.

We ran and came to a stop at a dead end that was completely blocked off by mountains. I blinked and looked up at the huge mountains that seemed to come to a stop rather high and disappeared in some mist. I couldn't even see the peak to them! My gaze then scampered away from the mountains and onto Vex who was walking around. Heights were never fun and I wasn't a fan of them. As long as we didn't have to go up that slope, I would be okay! I examined the clearing, like Vex was doing. There was nothing here, not even the smell of a pokémon! It was like a dead zone! I flattened my ears in disappointment. Perhaps the mothers of those Pokémon had already gone back to Silvermist. I wasn't exactly looking forward to coming out to the middle of a forest to find nothing but an angry heracross and a dead-end. Then again, as long as Igglybuff's and Cleffa's parents got home safely, that all that mattered. I did kind of feel a little selfish though. After seeing what kind of rewards a Pokémon would get from rescuing other Pokémon, it was kind of tempting to go on any mission – including the hard ones! I wasn't even sure if the two baby pokémon or their parents would offer a reward. STOP IT! Why am I thinking like that? Money does _not_ mean everything. Stop it, Marcy!

I continued to search the clearing around me before stepping on something very, very cold. I jumped back and looked down to see something shiny sitting on the ground. It was just sitting there and it was freezing cold! I leaned down toward it to get a closer look, trying to understand what it was. It had a very beautiful obsidian color to it. A daring, shining black color that seemed to shimmer silver under the sunlight. "Wow! Vex! Come here! Look at this! It looks like a stone… Or something. I'm not sure, just come here!" I called over to him. My eyes were glued to the beautiful colored stone.

Vex stepped up beside me and picked up the stone that was peacefully resting in the grass. He got a very, very close look at it and then pulled it away from his face. He was just as curious as I was. "Um. I've seen it before and they're rare to find. But I'm not sure what they are…" He murmured softly and smiled some. He obviously had an idea. "Of course! We'll just go as Liepard! She'll know what it is! First, we need to find those Pokémon."

"Pokémon?" A voice echoed behind us, causing us both to leap.

We turned around quickly. We were ready to attack whoever decided to disturb us. To my surprise, a large four-legged creature stood there. I could see glowing amber-red eyes. I could also see a lot of silvery-gray fur under the shadows of the trees. I have never seen a Pokémon like this before, even if he was in the shade.

"What are you?!" Vex asked, hiding the stone behind me. Obviously he seemed a little freaked out. He even took a step back so that he would be in sync with me. We both kept watching the large silvery-gray colored pokémon standing in the shadows of the trees.

The pokémon looked off to the side for a few seconds. I could see a long patch of white fur covering up one side of his darkened face. He then looked back toward us and took a step forward into the sunlight. As he did so, the sunlight above relieved the pokémon's glistening white fur – like freshly fallen snow. There was a horn sprouting from his head and dark colored ears revealing under the sunlight. In the middle of his head was a black marking. He even had a small tail that looked like a Zubat's wing! He then outstretched two pairs of wings that shimmered under the sunlight more than the rest of his fur did. He had a very thick, furry chest. I have never seen such a thing before.

Vex and I were both speechless as this weird Pokémon. He was large and looked as though he knew what he was doing. "My name is Absol but I warn you, I am no ordinary Absol," He spoke to us in a cool and collective voice. "I am much more powerful than I look."

Still speechless, we stared at the pokémon. How could this be? An absol with wings? Maybe absol's did have wings. I don't recall ever seeing an absol before. It was incredible. He looked very majestic and very different from any other Pokémon in this world. He looked like he wasn't scared of anything. I looked at how big he was and then my gaze fell on riolu. We were so much smaller than this large white-furred Pokémon!

"It is nice to meet you," Absol continued to speak and dipped his head in respect. "As I have told you, I am no ordinary absol. But this conversation is for another day."

Vex stared at the pokémon in front of us. I then noticed he wasn't shocked or scared. In fact, he looked furious. "WHERE ARE THOSE TWO POKÉMON THAT WE WERE TOLD WERE OUT HERE?!" He growled to the Absol standing in front of us.

I was a little taken back at his sudden change of attitude. Why had he suddenly changed moods? Did he possibly think that this Absol was, in fact, the bad guy? But he looked so nice and he was being very respectful to Vex and I. I tilted my head some, still examining the large white and black pokémon in front of me. I still thought it was incredible that a pokémon such as Absol looked like this. Under the sunlight, his fur glistened and sparkled as though it was covered in morning dew. It was just so… Fascinating.

I didn't realize I was staring blindly at the Absol until I was elbowed in my side.

"Staring is rude!" Vex scolded me before face palming. He then looked back up at Absol.

Absol was staring down at us with cold amber-red eyes. As nice as his attitude and respect was, he didn't seem the friendliest pokémon out there. He seemed pretty quiet and distanced from everyone. I began to understand why he was like this. It kind of surprised me that such a powerful looking Pokémon could be so quiet. It fell quiet. The only thing around us was the soft breeze of the gentle wind whispering through our ears in the small, opened area. I couldn't even hear pokémon around us. It was like there was nothing around us.

Absol broke the silence with his deep and mysterious voice, "I assume you are talking about Clefable and Wigglytuff, correct?"

"Right. NOW WHERE ARE THEY?!" Vex growled to the Pokémon in front of us. He still seemed hostile towards Absol. Perhaps he was just worried.

"They're back in Silvermist Town with Igglybuff and Cleffa," He explained to us.

The awkward look on my face turned into straight disappointment. They've been rescued already? But that was what Vex and I came out here to do! Now nobody will think we're tough enough to be a team. I sat down in defeat and my ears fell flat. I couldn't believe they were rescued. I was really hoping to get some kind of credit of the rescuing… But nope. Thanks to _Absol_ here.

"They were already found?" Vex replied softly. His body posture showed how disappointed he was. His shoulders were slouched over and his tail was lowered some. We were both upset because this random absol here just happened to save the two when we were going to get them!

Absol nodded and looked toward the forest as his voice rang, "Of course. They were in no real danger. They were just a little late getting back to town." He spoke with such sureness, as if nothing could go wrong. He seemed to have everything under control.

I turned to look at Vex. "Now what do _we_ do?" I asked him sadly. I didn't want to go back to the guild with nothing. They would think low of us, wouldn't they?

Vex sighed and gazed at me. "I don't know," He replied.

Absol just simply watched us. He then turned away and began to walk away. He didn't say goodbye or anything. He just disappeared into the shadows of the forest, quickly and kicking up dust.

"Let's bring some honey back?" I asked Vex.

"I think the guildies would appreciate that," He said and smiled softly at me. "How do we carry it? I don't want to touch it again.

"Well," I murmured and shook my fur out as I looked at the beautiful black stone sitting in Vex's hands. "Um… Maybe there's something in this bag they gave us? Maybe like, plastic baggies or something. I'm sure the cook could use some."

Vex shrugged and replied, "Okey-dokey. I'm really upset that we didn't get to save the two pokémon but hey! It's okay! There's always next time. Though, something bothers me about that Absol. He was different."

I nodded and agreed with the pokémon. "I've never seen an absol with wings. So, something was up with him. Maybe we're hallucinating. That honey got to us?"

"I don't know…"

"And hey, Maybe Cinccino will be glad to see a stone like this!" I said positively and pointed to the gorgeous stone that he was holding.

Vex nodded and clenched the stone tightly before taking off back to the guild. I followed after him.

After checking in on Cleffa and Igglybuff and their parents, we made our ways back to the guild. We were exhausted from all the running around we had done today. Exploring Silvermist Town and then exploring Honeyfall Forest was very tiring. The town was a lot quieter at night and there were less pokémon around. It was peaceful but at the same time, kind of scary. It looked like an abandoned area that is haunted by ghost and dark Pokémon. There were a few of them out but they had no business with us. They went on about themselves and did whatever it was they needed to do.

My paws hit the ground softly, claws digging into the dirt as I walked. The moon above our heads was bright and full. It was a marvelous sight and it lit up everything around us with a mysterious glow. It was a very comforting sight. I looked over to Vex who was still looking very disappointed and I felt sorry for him. This was his chance to prove to the guild members and the towns Pokémon that we were going to be a great team. I still had my hope up though! I know we'd make a great exploration team one day. With determination, anything was possible. We were going to make it to the top one day. That's when the thought of me being a human came back to me. How could I ever be a great pokémon if I was a human? Once I figured out how I turned into a pokémon and how I can get back to the real world, I may have to leave Vex's side. He would be devastated… I shook my head as I thought to myself. I wanted to find out the secrets of being turned into a pokémon but so far I had no leads. Will I ever be made a human again or will I forever be stuck as a pokémon? I don't think I could make it through life knowing I was human but living as a pokémon. Then again, it would be a lot of fun to watch the world through a pokémon's eyes. To watch how pokémon interacted with one another. It was any scientists' dream. I could share this experience with everyone! However, I don't think that would go well for the pokémon world… So many scientist and people would bother me. They would run test to see what would happen.

I smiled to myself as I gazed at Vex in front of me. He was such a kind pokémon and he didn't seem bothered that I told him I was actually a human. He cared for me, I could see it. I did enjoy being by his side. He is a great friend. I feel like if I told anyone else in this guild that I was human, they would just hate me even more. I didn't want to be hated. I just… I didn't. I have yet to ask Cinccino if she knew anything about this. Or maybe even Ampharos! I'll have to ask them when it's not so late.

We crawled to our given room. I flopped down on my nest near the little window in our room. I let out a huge gapping yawn as I heard my belly growl loudly. Why didn't we eat anything? I thought that the guild cook was supposed to make food the guild members but I assumed we got back late. "Well. I'm disappointed. No rescue and now no food!" I whined out loud and rolled onto my back, now staring at the dirt roof above us.

Vex's belly growled. "I know what you mean," He replied over to me and sighed. "GOOD THING I SWIPED THESE APPLES!" He cheered happily and prodded me in the side. "And we have that honey, remember?" He pointed to the bags and grinned at me. "Apples and honey sounds delicious," He exclaimed.

"Oww! Don't do that!" I yelped over to him before falling quiet at the sight of the large, juicy red apples he was holding. "Ooh. Yay! Let's get the honey!" I smiled nosed through our exploration bag to grab the plastic bag that held the honey.

"Here," Vex spoke. He took the bag of honey from me and made a honey apple. (Kind of like a caramel apple but with honey.)

"Oh that looks yummy!" I exclaimed. I didn't even notice the slight drool coming from my mouth at the sight of that apple smothered in honey. I grabbed the apple from his hand and began to nom on it. It was so yummy! As soon as I took the first bite, the smell of the apple filled the room and something flashed into my mind. This image lasted but for maybe two seconds and then completely disappeared. I chewed the apple piece I had bit off and was now staring down at the apple. I didn't know what that image was but I wanted to know. Oh I wanted to know so badly. It may have been a connection back to my human self…

"What's wrong?" Vex's voice sounded and knocked me out of my deep thinking.

I continued to stare at the apple as if it were poisoned. "Um. Nothing is wrong," I told him quickly before taking another bite of the apple. I wish these images would last longer than a few seconds.

"If you say so…" Vex whispered awkwardly.

"You're finally back," A voice growled deeply.

Vex and I instantly looked up to see Ampharos standing there, the ball on his tail lighting up. He didn't look very happy. "Hello Ampharos!" Vex greeted.

"Quiet Vex," Ampharos snapped toward him. "Why have you returned so late? Never mind the answer. I heard you ran into a pokémon? A Pokémon named Absol?" He muttered to us, holding a clipboard close to his chest. He definitely didn't look very happy. He couldn't possibly me mad at us for returning so late, could he?! How did he know about us running into the winged-pokémon?

"Yes," I replied to Ampharos. "Why? How do you know?"

"That was a special Pokémon, Marcy. It was no ordinary absol. Did he say anything to you about that?" Ampharos asked us. His voice sounded very, very serious.

Vex and I exchanged glances and then looked back to the electric Pokémon in front of us. We both shook our heads and it was Vex who spoke up this time, "No. He just said he was no ordinary Absol and said that the conversation was for another day."

A sigh escaped Ampharos and he nodded. "Of course not. Vex. Do you know how he was a special absol?" He asked him.

This was beginning to sound like a quiz. Were we getting tested?!

The Riolu just looked down at the apple that was sitting in his hands. He didn't reply to the pokémon standing in front of us. Finally he spoke, "N-no. Was he a bigger Absol? Had larger claws? A longer tail? Ermm. I don't know Ampharos!" His voice cracked at the end. Why was he getting so worked up?

"Absol…" Ampharos started as the light on his tail got brighter, "Is a Mega Pokémon."


	6. Chapter Five - A Day of Nothing

**Chapter Five**

 **A Day of Nothing**

"Wake up! Wake up! RISE AND SHINE! It's a new day!"

The same loud booming voice sounded in our room as it did the other morning. I woke up slowly as the sun filtered through the window and just barely lit up our room. My eyes opened and I yawned. I sat in the straw bedding and my mind instantly began to race with questions and statements from the previous night. Ampharos had mentioned something about Absol being a 'Mega' pokémon but what exactly was that? He didn't completely explain it. He just looked at us and told us, "One day you'll find out what it is."

I began to wonder if we would even ever see that Absol again. Are there other 'Mega' pokémon or was Absol the only one? There has to me more of these so called Mega Pokémon and hopefully one day I'll see another Mega Pokémon. Was it possible for me to become a mega? I can see it now… Mega Eevee! Or is there a mega for an evolution form!? Mega Glaceon, Flareon, Leafeon?! There could be so many possibilities! I could just see it now. I can see myself going into battle and easily taking down an opponent. Hrmph. I could be a pretty great guild member if that was the case.

"Are you coming, Marcy? I know we'll have plenty to do today!" Vex's voice snapped me out of my deep thoughts.

I blinked and turned to face the riolu standing patiently, but excitedly, in the tunnel that connected to our little den. I smiled at him and quickly made my way out of the den to the main room of the guild.

After Cinccino had directed the guild to do this and that, everyone seemed to vanish. Vex and I were left in the room. We weren't exactly given a task nor did anyone seem to take notice to our presence. I glanced around the room wondering what the other exploration teams had to do and how long they've been working in the guild. I didn't want to be stuck in town now having anything to do. It would be nice to explore more of Silvermist Town but I want to actually be able to help the Guild out somehow. Whether it is returning a stolen item, taking a bad guy down, or even research, I want to help the guild out somehow.

Glancing at Vex, I realized he was standing looking clueless. The blue and black Pokémon was then approached by Ampharos who looked over to me. Ampharos then motioned me toward and I wondered what task he was about to give us. "Vex? Marcy? Please. I don't exactly have anything for you two to do today… But… Come with me," He then began to walk over to a bulletin board.

We followed after him. We were both excited that we got to choose our first real exploration that we can actually accomplish! As we reached the board, our eyes scanned the many sheets posted on the board. There were so many requests that were listed; from robbery of a pokémon's home to a lost pokémon somewhere. They all had money rewards too! Excitement jittered through me and my tail began to sweep back and forth as I thought about actually helping the guild out. Maybe I'll be able to learn about how I was transformed into a Pokémon. I scanned the board before my gaze fell onto one particular poster. It was a green and white pokémon's face and I couldn't put the name to it. Somehow, that pokémon looked familiar. Putting my paws up on the wall, I was about to grab it before the board had suddenly flipped and busted me in my chin. I rolled back and fell flat on my back. "Oww!" I whined and rubbed my now-busted chin.

"Whoa! That was so cool!" Vex said, completely ignoring the fact that my chin had gotten busted by that board. "Who did that? What did that? How did that happen?!" He asked. He tried to move the board but had no luck.

Ampharos let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. "We have pokémon who swap out the boards every day. In this guild, it is done by Drillbur. Do you remember Drillbur? He was the one who detects Pokémon footprints," He explained while scanning the board for something.

I tilted my head some as he brought up Drillbur. Ever since Vex and I had joined the guild, we haven't seen Drillbur since. It was kind of strange to never see him but oh well. I slowly approached the two pokémon standing in front of the board and began to focus on the newly-updated board. I didn't see that green and white pokémon I was looking at. I frowned. He looked like an easy opponent too!

Vex nodded and looked at me. He smiled some before turning his attention back to the board. "Is it just Drillbur? I thought Beartic helped out?!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.

Ampharos shook his head and grabbed a piece of paper that sat on the bulletin board. He examined the front of it and read it quietly to himself. "Erm, no. Another pokémon that does it is Krokorok. Beartic was just helping out that night while Krokorok was out. He helps out occasionally but is usually off running some explorations. He is a very talented explorer and has been working with us for the longest time," He explained and turned his attention back to the piece of paper he took off of the bulletin board. His eyes seemed to grow wide as he continued to read the paper.

I watched the guild assistant scan over the paper and began to get a little curious. Why did he seem so bothered by this particular piece of paper? My attention then turned back to Vex when he elbowed me.

"Listen to this Marcy!" Vex gasped as he looked at his own piece of paper from the bulletin board. "WANTED: Large Mysterious Pokémon. We are not sure what this pokémon is but it has stolen from the SimiStore. Last seen headed toward Whitecrest Fields. Please return the items ASAP!"

I listened to Vex speak about this 'mysterious' pokémon. How did the officers not know what kind of pokémon it was that stole from the SimiStore?! It irked my nerves that the officers or witnesses' could not describe this Pokémon. What if we came along a Pokémon and didn't know that _it_ was the thief? I shook my head and glanced at Vex. "I don't see how we are to take a Pokémon down if we don't even know what it is," I murmured to him. I then looked on the paper and small a little image. I leaned closer to the image. "What if this was a possible outline or something of the thief?" I asked.

Suddenly, the paper was snatched from Vex's hands and sneer snickering sounded behind us. "We'll take this job! We know exactly who stole those items!" The voice said, "And you two pipsqueaks can't handle such a rare Pokémon!"

Both of us turned to come face-to-face with those two pokémon we met when I first woke up in the pokémon world. Coal and Dusk. (Houndour and Pawniard.) They had a small grin on their face.

"What was that for?!" Vex demanded and crossed his arms. He didn't like these two, and I could understand why. They were jerks.

"Because, we're Team Pitch and we can? We are much more experienced than you two are," Coal told us with a big grin.

 _THEY_ were an exploration team? They were going to go around _helping_ other pokémon?! I couldn't believe they were an exploration team. They already tried to steal from us. What if they were the ones who stole from SimiStore? I just kept my mouth shut because Ampharos was right there and I didn't want to say anything rude. But didn't he think it was rude of them to just come up and take our possible mission? I glanced at the guild assistant and nearly fell onto my face. He was still staring at that paper he had taken down! I shook my head and turned my attention back to the two pokémon. "That was _our_ mission. It wasn't for you to just go and take from us!" I told them.

"Oh well. Besides, our team leader will be most happy that we found an exploration such as this! Bye!" Dusk told us and the two Pokémon ran off quickly up the stairs that lead to the outside of the guild.

 _Team Leader?_ I echoed to myself and tilted my head. I began to wonder who would ever work on a team with _those_ two on it! I wouldn't be able to stand them for more than five minutes! Maybe even less! I watched them as they left before slightly growling in annoyance. Those were probably the worst two I have even met. Their 'leader' was probably even worst!

"Ampharos!" Vex whined, turning to the electric Pokémon.

"Huh? What?" He blinked and turned his attention back to Vex and I.

The riolu sighed and face-palmed. "Nothing. What is listed on that paper that you are so interested in?" He asked.

I looked shocked. Vex was just going to let that slide?! I tilted my head some in curiosity as to of why he did such a thing. Maybe it was probably for the best so that no argument would start up.

"It's just this pokémon… And how odd the request is," Ampharos replied and shook his head. "Nevertheless, you two need to go on your own little mission."

I avoided Ampharos's gaze and looked to the ground. I still needed to find out if they knew anything about turning into a pokémon. It had been bothering me for a while now. I'm afraid to ask them if they knew anything because I was scared if they would think I was crazy. I swallowed my fear and looked up at Ampharos and slowly asked, "Ampharos. I would like to speak to Cinccino about something… Something important. You see, I wasn't..." I trailed off and tried to think of the perfect way to put this. Images flashed through me as I thought about how he would react and how everyone else would react. It was a scary thought. I needed to speak to someone though! I had to find out something, even if it was little at a time. I knew this was the most random thing I was about to say, but it had to be said. "I wasn't exactly…" I trailed off again and lowered my voice to a whisper, "I wasn't exactly always an eevee."

Vex looked down as though he was embarrassed. "She's right," He murmured. "Um, before I had joined the guild I went to the beach and found Marcy here washed up on the beach. It looked like she hadn't been there for very long. Possibly overnight. I found her there at dawn after that terrible storm we had." He shook his head and looked behind him at the large board. He didn't seem too confident about this.

A storm? I didn't realize I had woken up the morning after a storm. I wish I had known that! It might have been a good help with this mystery. As long as I know now. I glanced around the room, hoping there weren't many pokémon in the room. Luckily, there wasn't. The only pokémon I had seen was a Mawile whom was sitting and reading several pieces of paper. The pokémon that was sitting next to Mawile was a small ice-bear pokémon who looked as though it were asleep. My gaze then returned to Ampharos who was staring down at us with wide eyes. I instantly flattened my ears and swept my tail over my front paws. I then looked down at licked my furry chest to avoid the pokémon's gaze. I didn't dare look at him after mentioning this! He must think I'm crazy. There was no other way to reply to that!

It was silent around the room for a few minutes.

"I see," Ampharos finally spoke up. "I have not heard of such a… Strange thing." He cleared his throat and nodded. "Um… Come with me please. Perhaps Cincinno may know something. She is the head of this guild afterall!" He sounded confused. Ampharos then turned away and began to waddle toward Cinccino's room.

Vex glanced at me and whispered, "Why did you bring that up to him now?"

I just simply frowned and said nothing. Slowly, I trailed after Ampharos to Cinccino's door. Way to go, Marcy!

Vex and I followed Ampharos to the room and he then knocked on the door. "Cinccino, I must speak to you right away? Of course, that is… If you're not busy!" He called through the door.

There was a little bell noise that sounded from the other side of the door. "Come innnn!" The sing-song voice rang. The door then opened without any of us touching it.

Ampharos walked in first and Vex and I cautiously entered the room. The room that we entered wasn't very big but it was kind of long. There was a neatly organized desk on one side of the room with several books on it and one open space that showed us the busy-face of Cinccino. She even had on a pair of glasses on! My gaze then scanned the room. Behind Cinccino's desk were tall windows that allowed light to filter through and allow the outside light to light up the room. It wasn't much a sight, just the green forest that the guild sat near. In front of the desk were two colorful plush pillows. I assumed they were for guest like us. I continued to look around. The round chamber was lined with many books. It looked like Cinccino was a big book reader. The books were neatly organized and sorted by titles, it looked like. They were clean and not one book looked out of the order. I began to walk around the room examining the tall shelves stacked with books. What did Cinccino do with this many books?

"Marcy, come this way please," Ampharos's voice sounded.

I turned away from the tall bookshelves and made my way to sit between the two colorful plush pillows. I delicately sat and wrapped my tail around my paws, looking up to Cinccino. I was nervous, yes. I couldn't believe I was about to talk to the Guild Master about me being a human and getting transformed into a pokémon! She's going to kick me out of the guild, isn't she?!

"Now then, tell her what you told me Vex and Marcy," Ampharos said sternly. He stood beside the desk and eyed the two of us.

I didn't really want to speak, but I did anyway. Vex and I explained to her about the entire 'being changed into a pokémon' thing.

After explaining the entire situation to Cinccino, she didn't say anything. She sat there and just stared down at the book below her. I was embarrassed, just like I was when I was explaining it to Ampharos. Now I sat there in the bright room looking foolish. My cheeks and ears had warmed up when I explained it to Cinccino. Vex and I waited for her reply.

"So. You tell me you were a _human_ and then were changed into an eevee? Are you sure, Marcy?" Cinccino asked me, finally breaking the silence. She stared down at me with her dark, emotionless eyes. She probably didn't know what else to say! I wouldn't have known what to say if I was her either.

I stayed silent for a few seconds and then answered, "I'm positive."

Cinccino nodded and got up from her desk. She began to walk around the room and gather several books. "Ampharos, clear off my desk please," She ordered him.

Vex's gaze and mine both followed Cinccino. "I wonder what the books are for," I whispered quietly to Vex.

He nodded in agreement and continued to watch her.

The gray and white Pokémon continued to scan the bookshelves, stopping here and there to pick up yet another book. She had put several back and finally ended up with three total books. Now, she approached her desk and sat the books down. She sat down in her chair and put her glasses back on and began to open the books, one at a time. It was quiet around the room and I could just barely hear the ocean crashing onto the shore. (REMEMBER, the guild was basically built on the ocean and cliff combined. Yeah. :D) It was an awkward silence too.

"Nothing. There is nothing in any of these books about a human being changed into a pokémon," Cinccino sighed in disappointment. It was obvious that she was upset that there was nothing about it. Perhaps she was one of those Pokémon who had to have all the answers. "I'll keep looking," She told us and turned her attention to the bored-looking Ampharos who was poking at ground with his foot. "AMPHAROS!" Cinccino yelled loudly and crossed her arms. "Were you paying attention at all?! Hrm. Take them to the Town Elders, now." She commanded the pokémon and pointed toward her door. "I must return to my studies."

Ampharos had literally jumped about an inch off the ground when Cinccino had suddenly yelled loudly. "U-uh," He nodded and clenched his clipboard tighter. "RIGHT AWAY CINCCINO! Come along, now, now, now!" The electric Pokémon had walked over to the side of us and began to force us out of the room.

I wanted to say thank you to Cinccino for trying but I was already out of the room. The door had slammed behind us and I frowned. Why had her mood suddenly changed? Nevertheless, we were off to the Town Elders, whoever they were.

Ampharos had taken us through the busy town that seemed to be covered in pokémon. Mainly Magneton and Magnemite. There were also a few Boldore here and there. I was wondering why there were so many of them. Were they detectives or something?

"Magneton's, Magnemites and Boldores are all officers. They're the ones who lock the bad guys up until it's there time to be free. The head of the groups is a Gigilath and a Magnezone. They are the top officers of this part of the pokémon world," Vex whispered to me as though he had read my mind. "They must be investigating the theft of SimiStore."

I nodded slowly and looked away. For some odd reason, those Pokémon made me feel uneasy. It was like they were the bad guys for going here and there and looking in random areas of Silvermist Town. I guess they would do a lot to find the clue to the stolen items of SimiStore. "They don't look very friendly," I whispered to Vex.

He chuckled some and shook his head. "They're officers! They're not supposed to be friendly!" The riolu then leapt ahead to be in sync with Ampharos.

I was left behind the two Pokémon, looking around at the scenery. We didn't even pass Bellosom's Accessory store which was the closest store to the Guild. Instead, we took a different path I had yet to be on. We followed the dirt path and I could hear laughter in the distance. As we reached the top of the hill, I froze. I stared down the hill and smiled bright. At the bottom of the hill sat a huge Hot springs with several different Pokémon there. There were rocks lining the outside of the hot springs and even huge rocks inside the hotspring! From atop the hill, I could see steam rolling off the water. At the bottom of my path sat a gorgeous little bridge that went across the water to an opening within the middle of the springs. It would be great to just go and relax in the hot springs. We then made our way down the hill and my eyes fell onto a little building beside the hot springs. There sat a little building with a fenced in area. The first thing I noticed on the fence was a huge sign that read, " **Altaria's Daycare**." This place must be where younger pokémon come and stay with a pokémon called Altaria. I then thought about Igglybuff and Cleffa from the other day. This was the day care they stayed in? It looked like fun.

Vex tugged on my scruff and I noticed that Ampharos was almost near the beautiful hot springs with flowers and rocks lining it. I scampered after him and we approached the springs. My face lit up with anticipation of possibly being able to go through the hot springs or even sitting in it! There were several pokémon sitting in the hot springs and on the sides. They had ignored Ampharos, Vex and I. However, I didn't care. I just couldn't wait to get my paws into that water! Overjoyed, I ran ahead and stepped into the hot springs. The warmth instantly filtered through me. I even shivered at how nice and warm the water was. It was such a nice feeling. I smiled and ignored the possible stares pokémon were giving me.

"Welcome Friend!" A soothing voice sounded from the furthest side of the hot springs.

I looked up and noticed a large furry pokémon sitting on one of the rocks. I tilted my head some at him. Who was that? I shrugged and smiled. "Thank you," I told him. I looked behind me and noticed that Vex had climbed into the water and was enjoying it just as well as I was! I then looked at Ampharos who avoided the water and the rocks surrounding it.

"It is nice to see you, Ampharos," That soothing voice said to the yellow Pokémon who was approaching him. "What brings you to my hot springs on such short notice? Care for a swim? Or a massage? Or something of the sort?"

Ampharos shook his head and waved his free hand that wasn't carrying the clipboard. "No I do not, Elder Stoutland. In fact, I have two pokémon who must speak to you right away," He told the dog-pokémon. Did Ampharos not care for the hot springs or was he really here to get things done?

Ampharos looked so uptight, like he had no free time and was always busy with this and that. I made my way over to the pokémon known as 'Stoutland' and Ampharos. Vex followed behind me. However, neither of us climbed out of the water for we both enjoyed it too much. I looked up at the large dog pokémon.

"Furret! Please, go and find Darmanitan and ask him to warm the hot springs!" Stoutland called over to the small pokémon who was gathering a few flowers.

The brown and white pokémon looked up at the large pokémon and nodded. "Yes! Right away, Elder Stoutland!" She quickly whisked away and disappeared toward the town.

"Ahh Zyana, she has been training to become the next Elder for many, many moons." Elder Stoutland told us with a soft sigh. "Now then, what is it you need exactly Ampharos?" He asked, turning to face us once more.

Ampharos looked at Vex and I and we explained our story again.

Vex and I told Elder Stoutland the same thing we had explained to Cinccino and Ampharos. About me getting turned into a Pokémon and if he knew anything about it, and blah blah blah. Yeah. We explained it once more to Elder Stoutland. I sat in the hot springs, feeling very awkward. I had even started to play in the water. Well, I swirled it around with my paw.

"Huh…?" A noise came from Elder Stoutland.

All three of us gasped and stared at the Stoutland who apparently ignored everything we had said.

"ELDER STOUTLAND!" Ampharos growled in annoyance.

I could see little sparks flying off of him and I quickly scrambled away. He was going to lose his temper and shock everyone in the water with his electric attack if Stoutland didn't focus better.

"Elder Stoutland, I returned with Darmanitan!" Zyana, the furret, sounded as she had suddenly approached us. She was a very, very fast Pokémon. "Oh no! He dozed off! Um. Okay! I got this!" Furret stepped into the water besides Vex and I and kicked water up at Stoutland.

The dog pokémon snorted and his head shot up. "AROOUGHHHH," He howled. "Oh. I fell asleep, thank you Zyana. WILL EVEYRONE PLEASE STEP OUT OF THE WATER FOR A FEW MINUTES!" The dog barked loudly to the pokémon in the water.

"You're very welcome sir! May I return to my studies? Please?!" Zyana pleaded. She seemed overjoyed to help out by grabbing another pokémon. And she seemed overeager to return to her studies.

Ampharos stood there, patiently. He tried to hold in his anger with Elder Stoutland.

Elder Stoutland nodded at the furret. He then cleared his throat and looked down at Vex and I as we exited the water. "What's this now? You say you were turned into a pokémon? Hrm. That is very strange. I have never heard of such a thing… Actually…" He trailed off and turned his body to focus on me. "A long time ago, I think something happened that was very similar to this. I'm not sure. You must return another day. Thank you, come again." Stoutland then laid down on his rock and shut his eyes. Within a few seconds, the dog was sleeping and snoring loudly.

I had fallen face-flat onto the ground and flattened my ears. (Like people do in the anime? They fall flat onto the ground after something ridiculous happened? Yeah. :D) "He seriously told us to come again," I mumbled into my furry paws.

Vex poked at the fluffy pokémon and then was scolded by Ampharos.

"Stop it Vex!" Ampharos snapped, sounding very annoyed with everything around him.

I stood up and shook my head. "I guess we'll just come back some other time… Like he said," I muttered. I was very upset not to have learned anything. I said nothing more to Vex or Ampharos and just started to head back to the Guild with my head drooping. I guess I will learn nothing. However, I was a bit curious to the fact that Elder Stoutland had said something like this might have happened before. Is it possible that it might be true? Or was Elder Stoutland just crazy? He did fall asleep within a few seconds… Maybe he was just too old and should give up on the history telling.

A cold chill swept through my fur, causing me to shiver. I stopped in my tracks and looked around. It had all of a sudden got cold. But it wasn't that chilly when we left the guild earlier. It actually felt fairly warm this morning. I looked up toward the sky and noticed that clouds had rolled in. Large, fluffy gray clouds. All of a sudden, a few flakes of white began to fall. A flake of white had landed on my nose and I studied it. "It's snowing…" I whispered.  
"It looks like winter is early this year," Murmured Ampharos.

"That hasn't happened in years though," Vex argued with Ampharos.

"Nonsense!" Ampharos exclaimed with a cheer. "Back to the guild we go!"

I frowned. Why did it have to snow? I don't like the snow. I flattened my ears and followed after Vex and Ampharos. Vex was running around with his arms outstretched like a flying pokémon. He was zigzagging as if he were bored and this amused him a lot… He was so random sometimes. I shook my head, ignoring my thoughts of the young and happy pokémon and looked up to the sky. Something didn't feel right. But what did I know? I'm a human from another world, trapped inside an eevee. Maybe this was normal… Unlike me. I will always be different. I couldn't imagine going back to my other world as a normal trainer again…

"MARCY LETS GO!" Vex hollered

I smiled and gazed up at the black and blue pokémon before racing over the small bridge and up the hill to my partner. "Right!"

 **Changing to POV to Stoutland**

"Hrm…" The large dog murmured and shook his head. "This isn't right. It's as if it was all timed perfectly," He sighed and gazed up at the sky. "Why is it snowing? This is so very strange. That little eevee said she was human. But no human has stepped place in our world in so long…"

"Elder Stoutland!" Furret squealed, running up to him and then running in circles. "Look, look, look! It's snowing!"

Elder Stoutland lowered his gaze and rested it on the young furret. "Zyana… Will you bring me some books about humans?"

She tilted her head and gave him a strange look. Zyana replied, "But Elder… Why do you want to know about them?"

He let out a bellowing laugh and patted her on the head with one of his paws, "It is good to know of everything. History is very important to all of us… To learn about humans is exciting!" Elder Stoutland gazed at her with the friendliest stare. "Besides, I am interested."

"That's not a good reason Elder," Zyana murmured to him and frowned. "There must be a better reason."

Elder Stoutland let out a sigh, "That eevee claims she knows humans." Of course, he twisted the story a little.

"Oh that's most intriguing!" Zyana cheered and did a backflip. "I shall bring you the books right away!" The little furret turned away from him and instantly darted away, jumping on the rocks across the hot springs.

Elder let out another sighed and gazed up at the gray sky. "I heard this might of happened but I wasn't sure it was true… And why our town? Why Silvermist? Arceus, have we displeased you enough to bring a human to the world?" The dog whimpered quietly and rested his head on his paws. He tried to think of all the good and bad that has happened to Silvermist Town. This was the second time a human has been brought to his world.


	7. Chapter Six - The Mystery of the Cold

**Chapter Six**

 **The Mystery of the Cold!**

My eyes lit up with excitement as the individual snowflakes fell and scurried out on the ground. I couldn't believe it was snowing! For some odd reason, I just loved snow. It was so pretty though! I began to prance around as the snow landed gently on my flurry brown and tan fur. It fluttered down gently and continued to scatter. The snowflakes varied in many different sizes – from big too small. Just like pokémon. Pokémon are very similar to snowflakes. Everyone is different in their own way. And everyone was gorgeous. Yes, that was cheesy but that's how I felt. Even Vex was different from the other Riolu. Granted, I haven't ever met another riolu but I still enjoyed that he was definitely different from other pokémon. I looked straight above me and noticed that the clouds seemed to have gotten a little darker. Usually snow-clouds never got that dark of a gray! Then again, I was in a different world. Maybe they really did get this color in the Pokémon world.

"That… Is very strange," I heard Ampharos whisper to himself.

"I thought you said it wasn't!" Vex huffed, crossing his arms and glaring up at Ampharos. His gaze was then peeled away and he watched the flurries fall from the sky.

I blinked and turned my attention to the electric pokémon who had stuck his hand out and watched the snowflakes fall. What did he mean that it was strange? It did snow here in the pokémon world, didn't it? I was still curious to why Ampharos said it was strange but he also said there was nothing wrong with snow. I never know what to believe.

Ampharos quickly walked by and was now making his way back toward the guild, looking a bit nervous.

"SNOW!" Vex cheered and began to jump around. He then slipped and came rushing toward me.

I tried to move but it was too late. He had smacked into me hard and we were now both on the ground. Our eyes met and we just laughed it off before standing back up. "YOU ARE SO WRECKLESS!" I laughed to him and stuck my tongue out before leaping after Ampharos.

"I am nottttt!" Vex whined as he raced after me.

I shook my head and glanced over my shoulder at him. "You are. Sheesh." I rolled my eyes. I hope he understands that I'm just messing with him. However, the sad look on his face told me otherwise. I frowned and slowed down to walk in sync with him. "Heyyy! I'm just kidding!" I told him.

"Sure you were," He mumbled sadly.

"VEX! IF YOU DO NOT CHEER UP, I WILL PERSONALLY TACKLE YOUU!"

"Acccck! Okay, okay, you win!" Vex put up his hands as though he was innocent. The blue and black pokémon then trotted ahead as we reached the top of the hill. "Wow. Ampharos disappeared quickly," He muttered sadly.

We stopped atop of the hill and looked down into Silvermist Town. I looked around and realized that the Officer pokémon had all disappeared. Perhaps they found something that leads them to their thief. "Hey. The officers are gone," I told Vex.

Vex nodded and continued to eye the town. "They disappeared quickly!" He exclaimed and ran down the hill into Silvermist Town.

I was left alone at the top of the hill. I watched as Vex clumsily went down the hill. He nearly lost his footing and I chuckled a little bit before stopping myself. Carefully, I went after him into town.

As we reached the middle of Silvermist Town, we stopped and looked around. There weren't many Pokémon out like there have been lately – before it started snowing. It was very quiet. Even some of the shops were closed down. It reminded me of a ghost town. From what I was seeing, it looked like everyone had just got up and left Silvermist for some odd reason! That couldn't be where everyone was, could it? Surely they were at home and out of the snow. If that was the case, where we the ice Pokémon? They've got to love the snow as much as Vex and I do! I was very curious to as of where everyone had disappeared.

"Where did everyone go?" Vex asked as though reading my mind.

I frowned and replied, "I was wondering the same thing. Even Ampharos seemed to disappear quickly!" My ears flattened against my head. Was there some kind of other threat in this town besides that thief? "Vex, is it common for your world to get snow?"  
Vex looked at me and tilted his head some. He had a clueless expression on his face as he responded, "Kind of. It has not snowed here for a while. At least, I don't think it has." He then put his paw/hand to his muzzle/mouth and looked up to the sky. The other hand rested on his hip and he thought about it. Then the Riolu shrugged and grin. "OH WELL!" Turning, he began to head toward the guild which was right of Silvermist Town. All of a sudden, he tripped and fell on his face. He totally busted it. "Owww!"

I shook my head and looked around. Thank goodness no one was around to watch him fall but me. Approaching him, I noticed a strange black figure that didn't land too far away from him. "Hey. Is that the stone we found the other day?" I asked, completely ignoring the funny fact that he fell and busted his face.

"What? No, 'are you okay Vex?' or 'Can I help you up Vex?' or anything?!" Vex grumbled to me.

I nosed at the stone that landed a few inches away from him. Yeupp. Definitely the stone we found the other day. "Okay. So obviously this is some kind of stone that we have no use for," I muttered to myself.

"HEY! I STILL FELL HERE!" He huffed, "Come on. Let's go."

"Uh… I thought we were going back to the guild," I murmur.

He shook his head. "I want to see Simipour and Simisear first. They may offer us a price on this stone thing," Vex replied with a soft hum. He then began to examine the stone as he walked in the snow that was starting to fall harder.

We passed by Bellosom's Accessories and the little cooking place ran by Mime Jr. and Grumpig. None of them were out either. We approached the four-way in the middle of the road. The north road led to Kirlia's Bank and Aggron's Box Place. I didn't exactly know where the south road led but it led somewhere surrounded by trees. As we continued to the west side of the town, I continued to scan the trees and the grounds that were beginning to form with snow. There were still no signs of other Pokémon. It has only been Vex and I. Hopefully the Simi-twins will be out!

"Look! They're closing up shop! Hurry up Marcy!" Vex yelled and darted ahead of me.

I scurried after him and came to a halt when Simipour and Simisear immediately turned around and looked at us. Neither of them looked very happy and their stance showed that they really weren't very happy. They looked as though they were scared.

"Hello Vex and Marcy. What brings you two here during weather like this?" Simisear, the fire monkey Pokémon, asked us. He didn't look as scared as Simipour did. She was frantically looking around as if something was about to jump out and get her.

Vex held out his hand that was gripping the dark colored stone with a string tied around it. He looked up at Simisear and Simipour. "We found this the other day and was wondering what it was."

Simisear took the stone from him and examined it carefully. He was about to speak off when another voice cut in.

"Simisear!" A sweet sing-song voice sounded.

Startled, I turned around quickly and noticed three pokémon headed our way. I tilted my head. In the front of the group was a large pink and white pokémon with a big bow in front of her ear. She had large blue eyes and a bright smile on her face. Little white ribbons with a pink end were stringing off her body and she giggled loudly at something that one of her friends had said. "Oh I know. That bow was more adorable than anything I've seen in my life!" She exclaimed.

"Oh, I know," a smaller yellow and green leafy pokémon replied. "Though, I didn't like the one you picked out." The smaller pokémon frowned and shook her head, "But I did see a really cute bag."

The pink and white pokémon huffed at the smaller leaf-pokemon, "You didn't like it? You liked it though, didn't you Storm? Wasn't it gorgeous?" She took a step closer to the yellow pokémon that was in the group.

The yellow, spikey pokémon rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Sure, whatever you say Rosie…" He stepped away from her and sighed. "Let's just get this taken care of."

The three taller dog-like pokémon walked right in front of us. The pink and white pokémon used her ribbons and began digging in one of the bags that her partners were carrying.

"Hello Rosie, Emerald, and Storm," Simisear greeted with a bright smile. "Just dropping by town for the night?" He asked.

"We surely are!" Rosie, the pink and white pokémon replied as she grabbed something with her ribbons and gently set it on the counters. "I hope we didn't catch you two too late. I know this snow is going to be quite dangerous tonight." She nosed the object toward the group. "We found these stones on our journey and we have no use for them."

Simisear nodded and took the three gemstones. There was a firestone, a dusk stone and also a water stone.

"As you can tell, we really have no use for the fire or water stone," Rosie cheered.

Vex pulled me back a little. "Stay away from those two stones if you don't know what to evolve into yet," He whispered, "You have Rosie the sylveon, Emerald the leafeon, and Storm the jolteon. They're three forms of your final stage."

I stared at the three with wide eyes. They looked so strong and powerful. Wow! Ignoring Vex's request, I darted up to them with a curious smile. "Wow," I whispered as I examined them. Rosie was gorgeous! She looked so pretty with her ribbons flowing around like they did, getting gently dotted with snow.

Storm the jolteon gazed down at me and blinked. "You're unevolved," He muttered.

"And you're a jolteon! OH that's so awesome! You look so strong," I replied to him. This was so cool! I finally got to meet three eeveeloutions.

"Aw aren't you a cutie!" Emerald squealed and patted me with one of her paws. "I remember being an eevee. The world felt so big then," She just smiled brightly and began to talk about a bunch of nonsense. "I never knew what I wanted to turn into. I was stuck between a leafeon and a vaporeon. I wanted to be a vaporeon because I loved the water but I wanted to be a leafeon because I just love fall. Did you know your leaves slightly change colors in the seasons? That was one of the main reasons I wanted to be a leafeon and I decided that I was going to do it! I was going to be a leafeon and I did! And it was the best choice in my life!" She squealed in delight and ran in a circle.

Rosie gazed towards me and gave me just the most disgusted look in the world. Her eyes just gave away so much hate and coldness. I even retorted back a little and flattened my ears.

"Oh don't mind her. She's just a little cranky," Emerald murmured, walking up to me and nudging me. "It's okay! She won't bite!"

"Meh, Rosie is always cranky," Storm muttered.

"Hey, be nice!" Emerald huffed to the Jolteon.

"No," He replied with a low growl.

I ignored the two bickering and turned to look at the sylveon. She had such a friendly gaze and posture and she sounded so sweet when she called for Simisear. Why did she give me that nasty look? I just watched as he mood completely changed when Simisear had turned around and given her the money she deserved for selling those stones to him. As she did, she whisked her ribbons and snapped at the two bickering pokémon. "Let's go before our room is given away," She told them. With a quick turn, the pokémon began to trot away.

"Byebye cutie! Be wise with your decision! Don't rush it! ENJOY YOUR EEVEE TIME!" Emerald giggled and trotted after the leader.

Storm flicked his ears and rolled his eyes again. "What was your name?" He asked me.

I smiled at the friendly electric type, glad he was respectful some. "My name is Marcy," I told him.

"Marcy eh? Nice meeting you kid," He replied and turned away.

"VEX! MARCY! There you are!"

We both turned around blinked when we saw a pokémon from earlier. The large, stunning Milotic suddenly appeared. She was draped in snow and she was breathing rather heavily. Her tail wasn't exactly fully colored like it usually was. Why did she look so run down?

"You two need to get back to the guild immediately. There is an important meeting going on and Cinccino said everyone needs to be back. Now." She told us, still trying to catch her breath.

"Ahhhh!" Vex hummed beside me and clapped his hands together as he caught sight of the stunning Milotic. He then stood up his tiptoes. ( _In his mind he was thinking, 'I'll follow you anywhere!_ ')

I rolled my eyes. Milotic wasn't all _that_ pretty. She was just another pokémon. Pretty scales or not! She was _just_ another pokémon. "Right away, Milotic!" I answered for Vex and I. Turning around, I quickly grabbed the dark stone out of Simisear's hands and took off toward the guild. What was so important that we had to get back so quickly? Was something wrong? Or did Cinccino just need to speak with us?

"Uhh. Thank you Simisear!" Vex whispered to the two monkeys and looked at Milotic. "What's happening?" He asked her.

Milotic watched me from the store. She then looked down at Vex and shrugged. "I'm not quite sure." She whispered. "But it's very, very important." Soon, we all left the two monkey pokémon and slithered/ran to the guild. (Yush. Running = Vex and Slithering = Milotic. :P)

I had reached the guild first, still carrying the stringed stone in my mouth. I had nearly fallen and slipped several times in the snow that had stacked up to at least an inch by now. As I reached the main floor of the guild, there were several pokémon sitting near Cinccino's door, whispering amongst them. There were even some pokémon I haven't even seen before. I sat the stone wrapped in rope down and maneuvered it over my head and around my neck. I shook out my fur and caused the necklace to get hidden under the fur that was bunched around my neck. Slowly, I pushed through the huge crowd to get to the front. "Excuse me, pardon me. Sorry! Excuse me!" I said loudly to everyone who was in my way to getting to the front of the pack of pokémon. I stopped at the front of the crowd and began to wonder where Cinccino was and Ampharos! I looked all over the guild from where I was sitting and saw nothing. I then heard a loud voice from the other side of the door.

"No! No! That can't be true! It just-" The voice was cut up when a hissing noise sounded on the other side of the door. "I… I understand. Yes."

That's all I heard before my listening was rudely interrupted by a voice beside me.

"Are you eavesdropping? What are they saying? Are they saying anything about me? What's this meeting for? Hello?! ARE YOU LISTENING?!" The voice huffed.

I turned quickly and stared at a little figure sitting beside me. She looked like a very, very small candle with an unhappy expression sitting on her face. Her little arms were crossed and she was giving me this awkward face. "Uhhm… I don't know," is how I responded.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW?!" She growled and began to float so that she was now staring down at me.

I looked up at her and grinned some. ^_^' - My face. "Umm. Uhh. I really don't know what they're saying!" I tried to tell her.

She then floated back to the ground and blinked. "Oh. Why didn't you say so?!" A soft giggle escaped her and she put both of her hands to her face as if she was hiding it. "My name is Flicker and I'm a Litwick. You're Marcy, aren't you?! That new pokémon, right?! The one who claimed to be a human before you were turned into an Eevee?! Wow that is so cool! I wanna be a human!" She whined and fell backwards dramatically. "It's not fair!"

How did she know I claimed to be human…...? Was she perhaps eavesdropping herself when I was communicating with Ampharos and Cinccino? Possibly. She is a ghost Pokémon after all. As soon as I was about to respond to her, another pokémon interrupted. I gave her an uneasy glance and took a step away from her. She didn't seem like the type of litwick that would act this way. I thought litwicks' were supposed to be mischievous and creepy? She was definitely creepy though.

"Flicker, what have I told you about bothering other pokémon?!" A low voice growled.

I looked over the litwick at the pokémon who approached us. His teeth were bared and his dark eyes looked cold. He stared down at the ghost pokémon who immediately jumped up and turned to face the orange and black pokémon. He then looked up at me and dipped his head in greeting. His vicious stare soon turned gentle and he sighed, "Excuse Flicker. She tends to get over-joyed about things in life." The pokémon sat down and gave Flicker a cold stare. As he did that, she disappeared into the shadows with her ghostly powers.

"It's okay. She wasn't bothering me that much," I tried to lighten up some. After seeing how vicious and cruel he looked when he growled at Flicker, I was a little afraid of what else he might do. I'm still confused… Why does she know I'm human?

"I am Flare," The growlithe smiled softly at me.

Either he had terrible mood swings or he was just giving Flicker a warning. "And I am Marcy," I replied to the growlithe.

"Yes, yes. You're that Pokémon who formed an exploration team with," He paused and looked up toward the ceiling, "Vex. Wasn't it?"

I nodded and began to wonder where Vex was even at. I wonder if he was still with Milotic. "Yes. Vex. The riolu of the guild," I said quietly and looked toward Cinccino's door as I heard the door knob turn.

Everyone immediately got quiet as _three_ pokémon exited the room. Guild Master Cinccino, Ampharos, and another pokémon. He was tall and he looked as though he was a steel type Pokémon. He was red, and a dark gray color. His arms and hands were a shining silver color and it looked as though he had two silvery disks around his dark gray belly. His feet were also a shining silver color. Sitting on his head was a large yellow axe-like blade. Who was that and why did he seem familiar? He casts a glance around the guild members and he shook his head. "I must leave now, Cinccino. I have shared with you what I could. Please forgive me." He spoke loudly. The steel Pokémon walked away from the guild and disappeared up the stairs that lead outdoors.

"Ahem. Explorers, we have news that an expedition will be going out soon," Cinccino spoke. Her voice sounded very rough and as though she had been crying. However, she didn't look like she had been. Perhaps she just had a sore throat or something. "We will be leaving when the moon is at its fullest and will be gone for several days. I will not explain where or why we are going. Just prepare yourselves. And remember, an expedition means only the teams who have worked hardest will be going. I say this again, prepare yourselves for the travel," Cinccino called out to the guild as her voice cracked at the end. She then turned away and went back into her room, slamming the door behind her.

"Flare? Who was that Pokémon?" I asked when the room had fallen silent.

Flare continued to stare at Cinccino's door, stunned. He then snapped back to reality and turned to face me. "What?"

I asked again.

"Oh, um." Flare looked down and frowned. "His name is Bisharp. Not much is known about him except that he is a very skilled explorer. He no longer works for this guild though." The orange and black pokémon shook his head and began to paw at the ground. "Honestly, I don't like him very much. He seems like the mysterious type of Pokémon. He's like a ghost Pokémon living in this world and coming back to haunt other Pokémon. There's just something about him," Flare murmured softly and it sounded as if his voice became very scared.

"Has he ever… Done anything?" I whispered in response. I was a bit curious why Flare didn't sound so sure about this Bisharp character. He seemed like a decent guy. But I didn't know him.

"He's done a lot," Flare responded. "Nothing bad though. He's always been good – as far as I know. In fact, if you really want to know something about him I suggest you go to the café that isn't too far from the guild. There is a few pokémon there who know who he is and what he has done for the guild."

I smiled and dipped my head, thanking him for the information.

"Please. Do not share this information with anyone outside the guild," Ampharos' voice spoke up over everyone. "For if you do, you will not be joining us on the expedition."

Several pokémon in the crowd let out a shocking gasp and then began to murmur amongst each other as Ampharos left the center of attention. I watched as Ampharos disappeared down the hallway that leads to the Healing Room.

"They seem very disturbed," Flare stated.

I nodded in agreement and frowned. "Yeah he does, doesn't he?"

"Marcy! Marcy! Marcy!" A voice rang. Vex bounced over to me and instantly froze at the sight of Flare. He stared at him as though he had just seen a ghost. He then muttered under his breath, in what sounded like a cold voice, "Flare."

"Vex," He replied in a low voice. Something glinted in his eyes.

I couldn't tell what had just happened but it felt like everything dropped to 0 degrees when those two pokémon came into sight of each other. They both greeted each other with a harsh tone as if they had something against each other. Obviously they knew each other, but what happened that had them act so coldly to one another? I sat there looking bewildered at the sight. _(Okay, imagine this. When two rival Pokémon come face-to-face and that little - line thing that connects their eyes… yeah, that's what basically JUST happened.)_

Flare turned quickly and looked toward me with that same gentle gaze he had given me earlier. It seemed that the 'cold-shoulder' he had given Vex disappeared when he turned his attention back to me. "Anyway, I'll see you around Marcy. It was nice to meet you," He flashed a soft grin before turning around and walking away.

Vex watched him walk away. He now looked very annoyed and upset.

"Erm… Are you okay?" I asked Vex quietly. I felt a little concerned for poor little Vex. Flare and he looked like they had resentment against each other. It happened right in front of me too. I knew something had to have happened if they were giving each other a cold stare and a cold tone. What could have happened? I frowned at Vex who was now staring at the ground and his hands were clenching a piece of paper.

"I'm fine. Take a look at this. I say we go check it out," He muttered to me and unraveled the piece of paper.

I began to read the paper but it was kind of hard because Vex's hands were shaking some. "I hope someone's reading this and is going to help me! Please help me! My friend and I were playing near Leafy Hallows and we both lost an item that is very dear to us! Reward: 200 PokèDollars." There was a little footprint at the end of the paper that looked like a paw print. (Skitty). There was also another footprint that belongs to a bird. (Murkrow) I nodded slowly and looked up at Vex. "Where is Leafy Hollows?" I asked him.

Vex looked down at the piece of paper and reread it. "Um. I believe it's near Honeyfern Forest? Perhaps a little further out. Come on; let's get a move on before it gets too late!" He turned and stuffed the piece of paper in the little satchel-bag that the guild gave us to carry a few things in. He then began to head out of the guild and back into the cold weather.

We finally came to an open meadow that looks as though it stretched for miles and miles! Snow had already covered the field and the used-to-be-green grass was now snow-white! The grass was taller and hard to see over. In fact, it was taller than I was! I had to stand up my tip-toes just to see over the white grass. I huffed in defeat and looked up at Riolu who seemed to have no trouble at all with looking over the grass!

"I see nothing," Vex commented.

I tried to stand up one more on my tiptoes but didn't have much luck. I then stood tried my best to balance on my two back paws as I glanced over the grass for a few seconds. A strong gust of wind blew by and knocked me over. The cold hit my fur badly and I shivered some. The snow didn't bother me but when the breeze swept by, I was shivering like a baby. I landed with an 'oof!' noise and flattened my ears against my head. More silence surrounded us as I laid with my head pressed into the snow. I was no help in such terrible weather conditions. I groaned and stood back up on my paws as the cold of the grass began to tickle my fur. I shivered once more and looked over my shoulder to see that Vex had disappeared. "Vex?" I questioned and shrugged. He must have gone ahead. I shook the little snow that rested on my brown fur before yawning some. I then began to maneuver through the tall grass field that was surrounded by trees. Snow was still falling gently and more snow was beginning to pack on top of each other. It was getting a little more over an inch and wasn't completely packed yet. As I continued to step through the snow, my paws would break through and I would crush the snow below them! I continued to fall face into the snow for it was beginning to get a little taller than I was. I attempted to hop through it but it felt like the snow was just grabbing onto me and holding me down. I was so useless in snow! However, I was determined to find this pokémon's missing item. I would hate to lose anything of my own.

As I continued through the snow, it was becoming more and more difficult. I had come to a halt when I realized the snow was getting taller. Not only that, I realized there were other footprints in the snow. They were too big to be Vex's footprints. Fear rose up in me. What if it was a huge a pokémon?! What if it was that thief?! I stumbled back some, only to bumped into something. I stared ahead, afraid to turn around. However, I slowly turned around to see a huge black and white bear. My eyes grew huge at how big the pokémon was.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING PIPSQUEAK!" The pokémon roared to me. He then reared back his hand and it began to glow. "THIS WILL TEACH YOU TO WATCH OUT NEXT TIME!"

I then saw that huge, glowing fist coming at me. I was too stunned to move. Not only was I stunned, but my leg was caught in a huge snow pile and I couldn't move it. I opened my mouth to yell for help but couldn't get a single word out! I turned my face away from the black and white bear and waited for the fighting move to hit me numerous of times.

I stood there for a few seconds, waiting for the impact to make contact with me. I felt nothing after that few seconds and I dared to open one eye. To my surprise, there were now two pokémon holding back the large black and white bear. Vex was one of the two and the other was a large black pokémon with what looked like bones on his chest and back. His orangey-amber eyes gleamed with anger.

"What did I say about attacking smaller pokémon?" He growled to the black and white bear. The new dog pokémon was standing in front of me alongside Vex. "And I told you to _leave_ this place! This is no place for a pokémon to resign to!" He growled loudly to the pokémon.

Vex turned around and sighed in relief. "You're okay!" He said cheerfully and flashed me a soft smile. He then turned his attention back to the black and white bear.

"I could pummel you so badly that you'd end up looking like a normal Houndoom!" The black and white bear growled. He took a step toward the pokémon known as Houndoom. The large pokémon had stomped his two large feet, causing me to bounce off the ground a few centimeters.

Houndoom growled once more and flames began to form at the base of his muzzle. "I'm _surrrrrrre_ you could do such a thing! You truly are pathetic, Pangoro!" He then aimed his muzzle toward the black and white Pokémon and instantly fired a flamethrower in his direction.

Pangoro, the black and white pokémon, was instantly scorched with flames. However, he easily shrugged it off and brought his right fist back. It began to glow and then it came pummeling toward Houndoom. The fist made contact with Houndoom's chest, causing him to fly back in the snow and land in a huge snow pile.

Houndoom growled as he melted the snow around him. He shook himself and turned to face Pangoro. "That _soooo_ hurt me! Oww!" He sarcastically howled over to Pangoro. "Nevertheless, if it's a battle you want, it's a battle you'll get!" The dog raced toward Pangoro. He was a definitely a swift pokémon. As he ran toward Pangoro, sparks of fire flew from Houndoom's mouth. Jumping high into the air, the fire began to form at his muzzle again. As he landed on top of the pangoro, he used fire fang.

Pangoro fell onto the snow as the heat hit his fur. He let out a cry of pain before taking his free arm and using Vital Throw. He grabbed Houndoom, best he could and threw him off of him. Houndoom went flying back once more, this time falling and injuring himself.

"Vex! We have to do something!" I cried to the riolu who was staring at the large Pangoro.

He nodded at me in agreement.

I looked at the ground, seeing that Houndoom had cleared out a path with his angry fire. Now all that was there in that path was nothing but slush and mud. I hopped to the clear path and it was a straight shot to the Pangoro who was finally getting up – slowly. I made my way through the slush and mud and finally reached Pangoro. He was nearly up when I had turned around and kicked dirt up in his eyes.

Pangoro groaned as the mud hit his eyes. A direct hit! He stumbled back some and began to rub his eyes. "Acck! I can't see!" He growled and continued to rub his eyes.

"My turn!" Vex cheered, strangely happy. He then ran toward Pangoro who was still stumbling back with the pile of dirt and a little snow in his eyes. He did a zigzag pattern toward the Pokémon and then leapt up, quite high actually. "FORCE PALM! RAWRR," Vex yelled and made direct contact with Pangoro. There was a bright flash of light and a strong breeze. He landed the jump a few feet away from Pangoro and was now on one knee, grinning as he watched Pangoro fall unconscious at the direct force palm.

I stared as Pangoro fell flat into the snow. I was amazed at how powerful Vex's Force Palm was! I know I didn't do much to help assist in the battle, but I was glad I got to help out somehow. In fact, if I hadn't used my sand-attack move then Pangoro would have easily squashed Vex. I happily bounced over to him and cheered, "That was great Vex!"

He put one hand on his side, rubbed his knuckles against his chest, and blew them as if he was blowing smoke away from them. "It was nothing," He grinned at me from a sideways glance. He was obviously overjoyed that his attack had done so much damage.

"Impressive," A voice spoke up to them. "Vex, was it? That was a very powerful Force Palm."

Vex and I jumped a few centimeters off the ground and swiftly turned around to see who had approached us. Hehe, he may be proud of his battling techniques but he was still easily scared!

"T-thank you?" Vex replied as he eyed the mysterious Pokémon in front of us.

I looked up and noticed a grayish-purplish pokémon with yellow lines throughout her body, bright (yet scary) purple eyes and a zipper across her face. She must have been speaking through mind or something. I wasn't quite sure how she was talking if she had a zipper. She looked very amused though.

A soft giggle escaped her and she smiled best she could. "It's nice to see power in such a young pokémon that hasn't evolved yet!" She then turned to me and blinked. "W-who…" She started and her smile faded. "Who are you? You look… Different," She commented and got _real_ close to my face.

I scattered back a bit and shook my head, staying silent. I avoided her gaze. She kind of freaked me out – the kind of pokémon she was. It was scary and different.

She disappeared and reappeared right in front of my face.

I let out a yelp and jumped some.

"Hey! Calm down!" She hissed to me and grabbed my scruff.

A few seconds later, I was off of the ground and unable to move. "Put me down!" I demanded.

"Banette, what are you doing? Leave the poor thing alone," A low voice sounded.

I nodded and pointed in the direction of the voice. "Yeah! Do what Houndoom says!"

"I do not take orders, young one," Banette whispered and gently sat me down. She then smacked her hands together as though she had dirt on them.

"Banette?" Vex echoed and eyed the purple pokémon who was floating a few inches away from me. "I've heard stories about you. That you're a real scary Pokémon who can curse any pokémon they wish!" He gasped and hid behind me. "PLEASE DON'T CURSE ME!" He begged.

Banette = -.- She then teleported beside Vex and then smacked him in his face. "I do not curse other pokémon I have a liking too," She muttered and rolled her eyes in annoyance. She then floated back to stand beside Houndoom. "We must be going. Here are the items you're looking for. Please return them. We would do it ourselves but we have much more important things to attend to. Beside, you must be returning home soon anyway. It is getting dark and you don't want to be out here with the ghost!" She threw two round objects in the direction of Vex and I. The two items landed in front of us. They looked like more stones? I couldn't exactly tell.

"Goodbye!" Banette made a creepy face before laughing wickedly and floating away.

Houndoom lowered his head and shook his it. "Banette's," he sighed and followed after Banette.

"SHE DIDN'T CURSE ME MARCY!" Vex exclaimed and fist-pumped. (YES. He really did that.)

Picking up the items, we headed back to Silvermist to return them.

We returned to Silvermist Town only to see a huge group of pokémon in the middle of the town. There were many, many different pokémon all whispering. Vex and I was curious and wandered our way to the group of pokémon. We sat near the back of the group but I couldn't see anything over the large figures of other Pokémon. I wanted to make my way to the front of the group but Vex stayed behind. I guess I didn't have to see to hear what the other pokémon were talking about.

"I can't believe this! I guess the snow was early this fall!" A pokémon whispered.

"It hasn't snowed here in so many years!" Another pokémon sighed.

"Right? And by golly, I just can't believe it!"

"Excuse me, can anyone tell me what is going on?" Vex asked a pair of pokémon in front of us.

The two turned around. One of the pokémon was a Glameow and the other was a Fletchinder. They both frowned at us. "Apparently, the legendary ice Pokémon, Articuno, is the one responsible for this snow," Fletchinder murmured sadly.

Glameow nodded and looked straight at us. "Legend has it, Articuno is always the one who tells it when to snow and when not to. I'm not sure if it's true but that pokémon in the front of everyone is going on and on about it." Her pointy face turned as she gestured to the pokémon speaking to everyone. "I've never seen him before though."

"Articuno isn't a bad pokémon!" Someone screamed out of the crowd.

"And how do we know this?" The pokémon in front of the group asked.

I stood up my hind paws to get a better look at who was addressing the group. I couldn't see though. It was too dark.

"It is a mystery to as of why this snow has suddenly appeared in the fall time!" A Donphan roared. "Articuno can't be the cause of this! She is still asleep!"

"And how do you know of that?" A Luxio hissed to the Donphan.

"We don't know what the cause of this snow is, but I want to advise everyone to stay indoors!" The addresser yelled to the group.

Everyone seemed stunned and annoyed with this town meeting. It was as if they all had different suggestions for this. I listened to the different conversations around us and I kept hearing the name 'Articuno.' Who was that and why was she connected to this snow storm? I was a little overwhelmed with all the questions rising in my head about Articuno and the snow. Today had just not been my day. All I wanted to do was go home and go to sleep.

"SILENCE!" A loud voice crackled across the group of pokémon. "PLEASE. Everyone must return to their homes immediately. This snow blizzard is most likely only going to get worst!"

I looked up to see a Magnezone floating above the heads of the pokémon who began to depart. "If you do not go home immediately, there will be consequences. Please go now!" The Magnezone began to float around the middle of Silvermist Town. The Officer seemed very concerned for all of the Pokémon here.

I nudged Vex who was beside me. "We should probably get back to the guild too," I whispered quietly.

He ignored me and continued to stare at the front of the group. I assumed he was trying to figure out who was addressing everyone earlier and why.

Sighing, I sat there for a few seconds and watched. However, before I could see who the pokémon was, Magnezone floated in front of me. "Please return to your home now, citizens." He ordered us in a stern voice.

"MAGNEZONE! Come here. We have information about the thief!" Another pokémon called.

Magnezone floated toward Officer Gigilath. The pokémon Vex and I were trying to see had disappeared into the shadows of the town.

"Darn! We missed him!" Vex sighed and stomped the ground. He then kicked a pebble and shook his head. "I wanted to know who it was. Let's go then," He murmured. "I doubt we'll be getting any information about the thief."

"Hold on," I replied quickly and made my way toward Magnezone and Gigilath. They were talking softly with a Magneton. Their voices, however, were too hushed for me to hear. I heard something about trees though. That's about all I heard. I then heard a _BZZT'_ ing noise from behind me and I tried to pull it off. "Oh! There it is! I found it. Let's go now!" I quickly left the scene, running past Vex who yelled after me.

"WAIT FOR MEEEE!"

We had returned to the guild just before everyone had been called for dinner. We went straight to the dining hall and looked around. It was a huge room full of different aromas. It smelled delicious in the room and I smiled. I didn't exactly know where to sit. There were two tables and I didn't know anyone at either of them! I awkwardly stood there in the middle of the tunnel-way to get into the dining hall.

"Come with me, Marcy!" Vex whispered and trotted ahead of me to the left table.

I followed him to the table on the left and awkwardly climbed onto the bench for dinner. I sat down the best an eevee could and looked down at the food that was being served. "Wow. This looks delicious!" I cheered happily as I stared down at my food. My eyes lit up with delight as the smells returned to me once more. Something blinked in my mind and I began to suddenly think about the pokémon I had run into earlier today. It was a houndoom and Banette, but I remember that Pangoro had mentioned something about "squashing houndoom back to normal" or something along those lines. I tilted my head and stared blankly at my food. He did look weird. He had a bunch of bones on his fur and I remember houndoom's don't look like that. I began to think of Absol and how Ampharos said he was a mega pokémon. Is it possible Houndoom was mega too? What bothered me the _most_ though was that Flicker _knew_ I was human. How did she know that?

Everyone around me was eating and happily talking. They didn't even seem to notice me. Something prodded me in my side and I looked to see Vex. However, he didn't seem to notice me either. He must have accidently bumped me while eating his food.

I frowned and just stared at my food. Who did those voices belong to?!

"Marcy! Aren't you going to eat? You're bound to be hungry!" Flicker, who must have taken her seat across from me, exclaimed happily and in a high pitched voice.

"Err… Yes. Of course," I replied and began to slowly eat my food that I was grateful to have.

After dinner, all the guild members were told to go to bed. Vex and I made our way down the hallway and into the room that we had been given. For once, I was so relieved to see the cruddy straw bedding on the floor. I crashed onto it as soon as my paws reached it. "Yes. Finally, sleep!" Today was a very long day. Going from here to there, falling in the snow. Though, meeting those eeveeloutions was probably the highlight of my day! But battling Pangoro, wow what a rush! It was an incredible day. Though, I couldn't help myself but think back to what Elder Stoutland had said when I asked about being changed into a Pokémon. His voice rang in my head, ' _A long time ago, I think something happened that was very similar to this._ ' He wasn't 100% sure though. He must be a very old Stoutland if he can't remember things very well. It pained me to think about my human life and how it's all a mystery now. Who was I when I was a human? What did I do? Where did I go? There were so many questions and the answers just disappeared. Now, I'm in a pokémon-talking world. It was still hard to take in but I guess what happened has happened. Then I thought back to what they were all saying at the town meeting. Articuno. Who is that? They said it was a legendary that caused it to snow? That's amazing! I would love to make it snow and bring joy to the younger pokémon. Or is this even considered joy? It's so cold and breezy outside. It doesn't feel natural either. Perhaps Articuno really is the cause of this.

"Marcy?" Vex's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?"

"What are you thinking about?" He asked me softly.

I glanced out of the corner of my eye at him. "Everything," I responded quietly.

"About today?"

I nodded and stared out the frost-covered window. "Yes. About this being turned into a Pokémon and what Elder Stoutland said… And even what they were talking about at the town meeting today," I quietly mumbled. "How did Flicker know…" I murmured outloud and then bit my tongue.

"What? What do you mean Flicker knows?" Vex asked, gazing right at me with a curious look.

I flattened my ears. "I was talking to her earlier… She mentioned that she knew I was human," I muttered to him and frowned. She had to have eased dropped on me…

He outstretched his paw and grabbed one of mine with it, offering a friendly smile. "It'll be okay. She keeps secrets well," He promised me. "One day, we'll figure out this mystery Marcy. I promise," He offered a friendly smile.

I smiled back and shut my eyes once more. "Goodnight Vex," I whispered and fell asleep.


	8. Chapter Seven - A Day's Worth Traveling!

**Chapter Seven**

 **A Days Worth Traveling**

 **(Starting Third Person With Vex) -** The next morning Vex had woken up early and was ready to get a head start. He was one of the first pokémon to wake up very early that morning. Most of the other pokémon in the guild were still sound asleep – even the more experienced explorers who usually woke up first. The little riolu was standing in front of the exploration board, eyeing the different and new explorations him and Marcy could go on for the day. They needed to do at least two or three request so they can pull ahead in their training. Vex was excited for the upcoming mystery expedition. He just wishes that Cinccino would have told them more about it! He hated the fact that they were so 'hush-hush' about it. Why couldn't they just tell everyone what it was about? Would he and Marcy even get chosen to go with them?

Vex sighed and grabbed two requests from the board. They were both for stolen items. He frowned and gently folded the papers up into squares and then put them in the bag he was carrying. Turning away from the board, he sighed in annoyance. _Why have there been so many stolen items lately?!_ He thought to himself and shook his head.

He lifted his head just in time to see the Guilds' Cook, Medicham running out of the dining hall. He looked frantically around the room as if he were looking for someone. He looked very bothered and confused. His gaze rested on Vex and he gasped, "Vex! Vex!"

Vex blinked and looked at Medicham. He was never one to speak to other pokémon – in fact he usually never left his kitchen. He was always studying. Something must be up!

"You have to help out. The kitchen's food… It's all gone!" He told him.

Vex gasped and stared in shock. Someone stole _all_ the food from the kitchen?! He couldn't believe it! Why would anyone be so low to steal food from the guild? How did that pokémon even get through the night shift guards? "Are you serious?" He asked with a gap. How did Beartic and Drilbur let them get away? Maybe they dug a tunnel or like, used psychic powers and got the food out.  
"No. I'm joking," Medicham muttered and shook his head. He then threw his hands up and glared down at Vex. "OF COURSE I'M SERIOUS! Go look. The entire place is _trashed!_ "

The riolu hurried through the main room of the guild and down the hallway that lead to the kitchen. As soon as he reached the dining room area, he realized that things have been out of proportion. One of the tables were flipped, there were crumbs all over. Two of the four benches were flipped. "Whoa," He mumbled and made his way to where Medicham usually cooked. The entire kitchen had been trashed and food was thrown everywhere! There were stains of whatever here and there and it was just terrible. "Oh my," He stared at the messed up room and turned to face the taller pokémon.

"Yeah. It's terrible. And I don't know who did it either. Beartic was on the nightshift duty all night long," Medicham sighed. He was very, very disturbed with this incident. Why would someone do such a terrible thing? "Now I have to go and collect food. That will be so complicated too with all this snow!"  
Vex nodded in agreement and looked up at Medicham. "I'll help you out," He told him with a firm smile. "Marcy and I will go out and collect the berries and whatever else you need for tonight's dinner!" He tapped his own chest twice with his fist and smiled. "I promise! Just tell me where I need to go and I'll wake Marcy and we'll head out!" He told him.

Medicham raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, giving him a sideways and unsure look. "I don't know Vex… You're still just a new kid," He told him.

"PLEASE!" Vex begged, giving him big puppy-dog eyes and folding his hands, pleading the fighting/psychic pokémon. "I promise we'll do whatever you need us to do!"

Medicham frowned a little and replied very unsurely, "Okay, Okay. Write this down best you can. We usually get our food from a pokémon across town… He usually drops food off with us. I highly recommend you check in with him. His name is Scizor. If he's not in, check in with his partner, Levy. She's a Levanny. They're all the way on the other side of town. Also," He paused for a moment and put a finger to his bottom lip and gazed up, as though he were thinking. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "Also, there are three places. Honeyfall Forest for some delicious honey – and there's a special way to get it. Lake Blue – there are trees there that hold a special berry that is very rare to find. Actually there are two rare berries there. One is known as Watmel Berry. They're extremely delicious and add flavors. Then there is a Spelon Berry which is very spicy. I advise you to not try it head-on. It will burn your mouth. They are a red berry with little spikes on them. I also need apples – which you can find almost anywhere. I also have a friend that grows berries. Her name is Sunny and she is located Moonlight Town. Have you ever heard of Moonlight Town?" Medicham asked, glaring down at him.

Riolu was writing everything down as fast as he could. He finally finished and looked at his handwriting. It was kind of messy. He grinned in embarrassment before looking up at Medicham. "Moonlight Town?" He echoed. "I have never heard of it."

Medicham put his finger to his mouth and looked up toward the roof of the dining room. He nodded slowly. "Okay. That's fine. I have a friend who lives at Lake Blue. He's a Jellicent and you will most likely run into him. Just talk to him and he'll tell you where Sunny lives."

Vex simply nodded. "Jellicent, got it!"

"Good," He murmured a reply, "Go now. Get Marcy and move. I need that food before sundown."

 **(Ending Third Person with Vex. Starting First Person with Marcy.) -** Marcy! Marcy! Wake up!" A soft voice sounded to me.

I was awakened by the voice and my eyes slowly fluttered open. A huge yawn escaped me and I looked sleepily in the direction of the voice. "Vex?" I murmured softly as he gently elbowed my shoulder. "What is it? I thought Beartic woke us up. Why are you up so early?" I yawned once more and then pushed myself up onto my light brown paws. I rubbed the sand out of my eyes and gazed at the walls, trying to get my head to stop spinning.

"We need to go, like now," He whispered to me and got on the other side of me. He then gently began to push me out of the room.

"Hey! Hey!" I gasped, trying to stop us. But he was a little too strong for me to stop him. So now I was basically being scooted across the floor. My ears fell flat against my head and a -,- crossed my face. He scooted me into the main hallway and then he stopped.

I looked around and yawned again. "No one is even awake, Vex!" I whined to him and looked over my shoulder at the bouncy riolu.

"Yes. I know, I wanted to get up early so I could get a couple missions before they were gone! However, there was another thief. This time, inside our guild!" Vex whispered quietly.

My eyes grew wide and I stared at him. "Why didn't you say so?! Who was it? What was it? Where did it happen?! Is everyone okay?!" I was overloading him with questions about the thief.

"Shhh!" He hushed me and looked around the guild. "This is our time to shine. We were given an objective so we need to go _now_. We have to go to the other side of town first. Medicham says the pokémon who give us our food might be in this morning. So Let's Go!" He ordered me and darted up the stairs.

I rushed after him and climbed up the two sets of stairs. We pushed our way through the opening of the guild and into the snow. The snow had gotten a little higher but there was a path cleared that a pokémon could follow. I wondered who cleared a path for the guild to go through. It must have been a fire pokémon or a few. I bounded after Vex who is following the path that leads to Silvermist Town. The snow on both sides of me came up nearly to the tops of my legs and I felt a bit nervous. I hoped I didn't have to make my way through the tall snow. I wouldn't get very far.

"Okay, so first things first. Medicham says there are two pokémon. A Scizor and a Levanny with the name Levy. He said they distribute food to our guild every once in a while. So, we're going to visit them first!" Vex explained, looking at the map really quick. "He said they're on the other side of town." The pokémon lifted his head and gazed around the middle of the town. Taking in the surroundings, he then gasped with excitement. "This way!" He darted through the path that was made through the town.

"Wait up!" I whined and looked around the town. There weren't many pokémon up or outside. I don't blame them. It was cold with all this snow. I heard a noise, which spooked me, and I darted ahead after Vex.

Catching up to him, I tried to catch my breath. We were now passing all the little shops that were closed due to weather. SimiStore was opening up but they were inside their little storage building selling items. I gazed over to them and noticed that Simisear was clearing the snow around his shop. "Hi Simisear!" I called over to him happily.

"Ah you're up early this morning little Marcy! Try not to catch a cold today!" He replied, waving his monkey-arm at me and laughing. "Be careful. Lot's of dangerous pokémon come out during this weather. At least most of the ice ones. WATCH YOUR FOOTING TOO!" He called.

"Okay, thank you!" I replied and fell into step beside Vex.

"Okay… Take a turn here," Vex murmured, watching the map as he suddenly turned left down a small path. "Then here," He murmured to himself as he took a right. "And just a few more steps…"

We had entered a little area where most poke-homes are. There were several homes lined up beside one another. Not many, this town was quite small. And I knew that not all pokémon lived here. A lot of them make their homes outside town where its quiet and more relaxing. I smiled at the quaint little buildings. They almost looked like the guildhall except shaped differently. I'm sure they were a lot bigger on the inside too. I smiled slightly and thought about what my own home was like back in my human world. I wondered what the interior was like… I enjoyed the thought of decoration.

Vex came to a stop, and since I was distracted I bumped into him. He wasn't fazed, he was just staring blankly up at a small building that was so very cute! He gazed around and noticed a farm beside the home, but it was covered in snow. He saw a Levanny outside and walked over to her. A friendly greet, "Hello! Are you Levy the Levanny?"

The Levanny stopped whatever she was doing and turned around. "Oh, um. Hello," She whispered quietly.

Vex smiled and replied, "Hi! My name is Vex and this is my partner Marcy. We had… an incident at the guild last night…" He trailed off and then continued, "and our cook, Medicham, told us to meet you here to see if you had any early food deliveries?"

The Levanny gazed down at the small garden and shook her head. She replied softly, "I'm afraid the snow has frozen everything… And our Gatherer's aren't back yet."

"LEVY? I heard hooligans. Who's here?" A loud voice boomed from the other side of the farm.

I stood up on my tiptoes to try and see if I could see anyone on the other side. However, the snow was just a little too tall for me.

"Yes, Scizor. We have guest," She replied ever softly.

"WHAT?" He called again and then suddenly appeared beside the Levanny.

"They're from the guild," Levy explained. "Something happened and they have no food."

"What happened?" Scizor asked, gazing down at us.

"Erm," Vex muttered.

"We were robbed," I spoke up.

"What a shame. That Beartic, lazy as ever I suppose," Scizor chuckled and looked around the farm. "Well, I reckon we might have a little but the Gatherer's ain't back." The red pokémon gazed up and looked around as if he were trying to find them.

"Gatherers?" Vex questioned.

Scizor nodded and replied, "Yeuup. They're pokéman's who go out and collect a little food for us!" (Yes, he really said Pokeman.)

I smiled and nodded. "That's fine!" I peeped up to him with a grin, "We were just wondering if you had an early ship for us."

"Sorry folks," Scizor replied and put a hand behind his head. "I hope y'all find yer 'truder." (Can you imagine a Scizor with a country accent? XD)

"Thank you!" I replied and waved my tail in a thanks. I dipped my head in respect to him before turning tail and calling over his shoulder, "Let's run Vex! Nice meeting you guys!" I wanted to explore. I wanted to train and learn new places.

I heard Vex call to the couple, "Goodbye! Thank you!" He then dashed after me.

"Be safe ya hear?!" Scizor called.

"Byebye!" Levanny called.

We then headed out to Honeyfern Forest.

Vex lead me through Silvermist Town and we headed south of there. We just finished gathering the honey from Honeyfern Forest. The honey was now sitting in these jars that Vex was carrying around in the bag. I kept trying to sneak some honey for myself but I always got swatted. Hopping through Honeyfern Forest was tough enough but there were some spots that had been cleared out and I was very thankful to the Pokémon who had done that. It was as if they knew we were coming. Now, we were headed back toward Silvermist Town. When we reached the Town, Vex took me to Ludicolo's Storage Place and I looked at the building he kept everything in.

"Ludicolo!" Vex called for the large and always-happy Pokémon.

He appeared a few seconds later and smiled. "Ahhh. Vex! And Marcy! Nice to see you! How have you two been?"

Vex smiled and sat his bag on the counter. "Pretty great! May I ask you to hold these things? I have a few errands to run and I need the bag space," He began to dig through the bag and take things out of it.

Ludicolo watched him and nodded. "Of course I will! Have a safe trip!" He took the items and put them toward the back of his little building.

"THANK YOU!" Vex called before looking back at me. "Come on. We are headed to Lake Blue. It's a marvelous lake, Marcy! You'll love it there!" He began to head east of Silvermist Town.

I blinked and watched him disappear. I then followed after him. I have not been this way yet and I was kind of excited to visit a new place. And if this 'Lake Blue' is as marvelous as Vex says it is, I'm sure I'll love it more! I wanted to explore and get to know Silvermist Town and everything that surrounded it.

Vex took me through this little area. My gaze was scanning the area. I stopped for a few moments and looked around. Ahead of me was the ocean, but it wasn't as bright as it usually was. In fact, it looked kind of dull and sad. This snow definitely was a killer of beauty on water parts… Where we were was a cliff that overlooked the sea. A beautiful spot, indeed. It would definitely look better under the sun though… Which wasn't out. I gazed at the gray and dull sky, frowning. When will these clouds go away? I sighed.

There was a gigantic tree at the edge of the cliff and fencing around it. I trailed toward the tree and looked up. It was definitely a huge tree compared to my size. The fencing went around the cliff, I assumed for safety precaution reasons. The tree was covered in snow and so was the area around it. "Wow. This tree is ginormous, Vex!" I exclaimed.

"Isn't it? This was my favorite spot to stay when I wasn't a part of the guild," Vex explained, hopping through the snow to stand beside me.

"Stay?" I echoed and tilted my head some. I looked around the tree and noticed nothing. "There's nothing to stay _in_ ," I mumbled confused.

Vex shrugged. "I usually slept in the tree or in its roots," He pointed to the huge, overgrown roots that looked kind of dangerous to go in.

"YOU SLEPT IN THIS TREE?" I looked at the tree and then at Vex, and then back at the huge tree and back at Vex. That tree was basically lingering over the ocean and he slept in it?!

Vex laughed and nodded, grinning widely. "Yeah. It's really not that bad. I mean, I didn't live here… I just came here a lot. It was very peaceful," He then turned away from the tree and motioned me to follow him. "Come on. We need to get to Lake Blue!" The Riolu trailed away happily and disappeared north of the Great Tree.

It only took us about fifteen minutes to get to Lake Blue. Lake Blue was closer to the mountains and had many, many beautiful trees there. (If you read Mystery Two, it's basically near that mountain that Regice and Darkrai fought at.) Most of the trees there were still covered in leaves and berries. The lake wasn't even frozen – in fact, it was shimmering bright blue! There were a few Pokémon there. Water Pokémon were mostly in the lake swimming and enjoying it while they could. There were a few Pokémon around the lake and enjoying the little sun that decided to peak through the snow clouds. The sun, in my opinion, felt wonderful. I had been hopping through the snow getting here and there. I was freezing! I would be surprised if I didn't catch a cold!

"Now… Where are these berries," Vex murmured quietly as he scanned the clearing. There were so many different berry trees and bushes; it was hard to tell what was what. It was hard to tell with all the snow. All the snow just covered the trees and hid the berries on the ground.

"What did you say these berries looked like?" I asked him, sniffing the air.

Vex spun around in the snow and looked at me. He began to describe the Watmel and Spelon berry. "Oh! And make sure you don't eat them. Medicham said some of the berries were very hot… I can't remember which one it was though." He shrugged and turned his attention back to the trees that lined the lake. "Hrm…" He walked off.

I followed Vex and stared at the trees, trying to see through the snow for the berries. I wasn't having much luck since I was so short and the snow was forcing me to hop through it. I hated being short. But I guess that's all eevee's. I'm sure when I evolve down the road into whatever, I'll be tall! Like how Slyveon and the others were! "Come out little berries," I whispered quietly to myself for amusement.

"HEY! Who are you? Are you here to pick berries?! Wow that's so cool! Why do you look different? Why do you have a patch of a light brown over your eye?! YOU'RE SO WEIRD!" A voice gasped and circled me.

I tried to see where the voice was coming from but I saw no Pokémon. I even turned around several times. It looked like I was chasing my tail!

"BOO!" A voice squealed when I finally stopped turning around. "Heheheheh. Did I scare you? I bet I did!"

In front of me was a little pink Pokémon with bright red eyes. She had a smile placed on her face and she was giggling like crazy. Her two fins were pressed against her face. (Frillish.) "Um. No you did not. Just… startled me."  
"Aww. Are you sure you weren't scared at _all?_ I bet your friend was!" She pointed to Vex who was just staring at me like I was crazy. "Hehe. I like him. La-de-da!" She floated over to Vex and circled him. "Hi!" She squealed. She was so loud and annoying… But she was also just having a little fun. She was a ghost pokémon afterall.

I just blinked at the small Frillish pokémon. It was obviously she was still very, very young. I watched as she continued to circle Vex who was swatting at her. Too bad he was a fighting Pokémon and couldn't damage the water-ghost Pokémon. That must be awful... To have no effect on ghost-types. What a disadvantage he and I would have if we ever had to fight one… Being a normal type, I wouldn't be able to lay a paw on a ghost type.

"What's your name? My name is Frilly. I don't know why. My mommy calls me that all the time! I tell her I don't want to be called that but she just says," Pausing, 'Frilly' backed away from Riolu and put one of her fins on her hip and the other closer to her face as though she was about to snap. She made a face and said in a deep voice, "You will always be known as Frilly. Because that's what I am calling you. And your dad is calling you that too!" She then let out a big giggle and continued to circle Vex. "Anyway. What's your name?!" She stared at Vex with big, excited eyes. "No, your mommy will call you that too. And your friend over there!" She pointed at me and grinned widely. "You're so cute. OH! DO YOU LIKE HIM?!"

I gasped and flattened my ears. "Like? He's my friend!"

She giggled, "I can hear it. Your voice got all squeaky." She disappeared and then reappeared back in front of me.

I let out a scared squeak and fell flat on my butt. "Ermm…"

"I know you like him. That's why you're here. Mommy brings couples here all the time to enjoy the lake! It's like…. Um.." She put a fin to her mouth and spun in circles, trying to think. "A COUPLES RESORT! YEAH! That's what this place is!" Frilly let out a squeal and shivered some, before floating to Vex.

"M-marcy," He muttered and glanced at me for help.

I just smiled friendly at him and bounced in the snow to get to them. "Erm. Frilly, my name is Marcy and we're here from Cinccino's Guild on—"

" **THE** CINCCINO?! AS IN THE FAMOUS SUPER-DUPER-SPECTACUALR-AWESOMENESS-AMAZINGLY-AMAZING CINCCINO?!" She gasped and fell over onto the ground. "THAT IS SOOOO COOL!"

She floated back into the air and suddenly took my front paws, now forcing me to float with her. I gazed down at my chest to see how high up she was taking me. "Uhhhh!" I gasped, a little scared of flying. Maybe if I tried to talk to her and calm her down, we'll go back on the snowy forest floor. I gulped and told her, "Yes. Actually, we're here on a mission."

"NO WAY! A MISSION?! Oh please, please, PLEASE LET ME HELP YOU!" She begged loudly and gently floated back to the ground, sitting me on my feet nicely. "Mommy never lets me get out of this place. She always says there's big scary pokémon out there. BUT. I can fend for myself!"

Vex and I exchanged glances and just tilted our heads. "Um… Sure. We're just looking for two kinds of berries though," Vex spoke.

"BERRIES?! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE BERRIES! What berries?! WHAT BERRIES?!" She gasped and floated up higher than we are. She then flew to several different trees and looked at them. "These ones? Or is it these ones?! OR MAYBE THESE ONES?!" The young, pink pokémon occasionally grabbed some berries and then would bring them back to us. She went tree to tree to tree! "OH. I BET ITS THESE ONES. These are Cinccino's FAVORITE berries in the whole wide world!" She squealed as she carried down a few different pink berries. "Give these to Cinccino and tell her it's from her best friend FRILLY!"

I looked at the berries she brought me carefully, sniffing them and trying to figure out what kind they were. "What kind of berries are these…?"

She didn't answer me, just kept bringing me other berries and color organizing them on the ground for me. I hollered up at her, "We're looking for Watmel and Spelon Berries. Do you know where they are?"

She looked down at me and smiled widely. "Of course I do! I do live here with my brothers and my mother and my daddy after all!" The Pink Frillish floated to these trees and into the limbs. "Here they are! Look, look!" She called.

Vex walked ahead of me and looked up at the tree. He noticed light blue berries and frowned. "Those aren't the berries we're looking for. Those are oran berries…" He murmured.

"Oh! Spelon Berries! Next tree over! GO!" She cheered happily and floated to the next tree.

Vex took a few steps over and looked back up at the large tree. He noticed the few berries that were connected to the tree still. A smile crossed his face and he cheered, "Those are it! Good job Frilly!"

"DON'T CALL ME FRILLY!" The Frillish exploded out of nowhere. She then giggled and began to pick a few of the berries that were in the tree. Humming a tune to herself, she began to gently pick the berries that we had pointed out to her.

"Uh, didn't she just called herself Frilly…?" I murmured softly to Vex, trying to figure out what kind of berries she had gotten into…

"Uhh…" Vex gulped and looked at me with a confused look on his face. "She's very different!" He whispered and climbed the tree.

She was very different… I made my way to the tree and began to collect the berries that had fallen into the snow. I examined them to make sure none of them were ruined or even bruised. I was sure that Medicham didn't want a bruised berry! Especially one that was so rare. After collecting two berries, I realized there weren't any other berries on the snowy ground. So I made my way to the bag and gently set both of the berries into our bag.

"Go ahead and take some of these too," Frilly smiled and pointed to the three piles in front of us. "And make sure you let Cinccino know those pink ones are from ME!"

Vex climbed down the tree with three berries. He sat them in the bag and smiled as he noticed Frilly with five berries. "Perfect! So that's…" He began to count the berries, "10 Spelon Berries. I hope that's enough. Thank you for the other berries as well!"

Frilly nodded at us and smiled. "This is the only Spelon Berry Tree here at Blue Lake. We try to take care of it because these Spelon berries are very yummy for certain Pokémon." She then floated ahead of us, humming quietly to herself.

Riolu picked up the bag and huffed. It looked like it was getting somewhat heavy for him. He followed Frilly and continued to look at the berry trees and bushes.

I followed them. This place seemed very calm and relaxing, despite the young Pokémon. It seemed like a great place to stay and have fun. I don't blame her parents for making this a couples retreat. There was a little beach-like addition to the gorgeous lake. There were maybe two other buildings that looked as though they could be rooms for couples. I'm sure they get annoyed with Frilly though…

"I'm not allowed over there. Mommy says it's for adults only," Frilly huffed, puffing her cheeks out. "It's not fair! I want to help her and clean and help other pokémon!"

I looked to the water to see several Pokémon enjoying it as they floated around in it. I assumed it felt pretty cold due to the snow. To me, the snow was already cold enough and I wasn't enjoying it. I loved playing in the snow, but actually having to do something wasn't the most fun thing. I noticed a few pokémon bouncing around and kicking snow up at each other. They were laughing loudly as they chased each other around, falling in the snow here and there. I smiled at how they looked so free and never had anything to do. But they definitely weren't older pokémon. They were younger and playing around. Maybe they were friends with the Frillish family. I did notice a blue Frillish playing in the water with the other pokémon so I had to be correct. They must be friends of the children.

I turned my attention back to Vex and Frilly who were already up in a tree. I gasped and hurried over there to look for fallen berries. There were no berries on the ground and I was a little disappointed. I wasn't able to climb trees nor were any of my moves useful. I thought about using double-edge but how ridiculous would that look if I rammed into a tree? I sat there patiently.

"ONE, TWO, THREE. RAWRRR!" A bunch of berries fell onto the ground.

One berry hit me in the head and I yelped out of surprise. I then rubbed my head with one of my paws, frowning. "That hurt!" I huffed.

"There! We have all the berries we need. Thank you so much Frill-ish!" Vex caught himself before he got yelled at again by the young Pokémon. He smiled and began to pick up the berries that scattered on the snow. After collecting them, he threw them into his bag and pulled it onto his shoulder.

I smiled at Frilly. "Thank you so much!"

Frillly blushed some and giggled, "It was nothing. Anything to help out Pokémon who know Cinccino!

"Thank you again Frillish!" Vex called.

"FRILLY! Where in Arceus's name have you been?! I've been looking all over for you!" A large blue Pokémon floated over to us.

I blinked. This must be Frillys' father. I watched him approach the three of us. I then noticed that Frilly had floated closer to the ground as if she were scared of the large, blue Jellicent.

"Um... Father, I was just helping these explorers out!" She explained to her father, not daring to look at him.

The Jellicent floated closer and stopped right in front of her. "You are going home right now and are not leaving unless you tell your mother or I. Do you understand?!"

Frilly nodded and just barely looked up at him, "Yes father. Goodbye Marcy and Vex!" She called and quickly disappeared to the other side of Lake Blue.

Jellicent sighed and watched her disappear before turning to face Vex and I. "I'm sorry if my daughter got in your way," He told us.

I smiled and shook my head at him. "It was no problem at all!" I tried my best to defend Frilly. She was a good help after all. Vex and I didn't even know where to find the berries! "She was actually very helpful. She offered a couple berries to us and even helped us find some."

He nodded slowly and sighed again. "So I understand you are explorers, correct? Part of Cinccinos' guild I assume?" He asked.

Vex nodded and pulled the bag further onto his shoulder. He looked up at the large floating Jellicent and replied, "Yes. In fact, we were on our way to visit a pokémon named Sunny in Moonlight Town. Do you know him?"

"Moonlight Town, eh? A quaint little town! Just over these mountains will take you there. Their town is a little hidden within the valleys of the mountain. However, it's a real nice town. Anyway, follow this path that you're on to the mountains and keep going straight. Do not turn anywhere, just follow the path." Jellicent turned to look at the mountains behind them.

I followed his gaze and looked at the mountains behind him. They were huge! Medicham expected us to cross those mountains to get to Moonlight Town?! What if we didn't make it there in time?! What if we had to stop somewhere and stay the night?! This was insane! And at the rate we were going, we probably wouldn't make it until it was dark outside! What a nightmare.

"If you move fast enough, you might make it before the sun goes down," Jellicent said and nodded. "Goodluck. Travel safely." He then began to float away.

"THANK YOU!" Vex and I both called out to him.

I couldn't believe it. We were going to be gone from the guild for an entire day. Will Medicham know about this? Will he let the other guild members know? I was kind of nervous to even think about it. What if something happened? I stood there, basically frozen. Maybe he knew this would happen though. But if that was the case, how was the guild going to eat tonight?

"Come on Marcy. We need to start heading that way," Vex told me.

"R-right," I murmured quietly. I wasn't the bravest Pokémon out there and I was very unsure about new things. I guess one could call me cautious. I get nervous easily. I looked at the Riolu who seemed confident. His voice was a little shaky when he spoke though. We were going into a territory unknown. We have little battle experience and anything could happen. We had to be confident though! And I knew as long as I was with Vex, everything will be just fine.

"Okay. So. Stay on the path and don't turn anywhere. Let's go!" Vex began follow the path that lead to the huge mountains.

I trailed after him.

We had the base of the mountains. I wasn't looking forward to this trip. It was snowing lightly in the mountains, thank Arceus, but it was still cold and the breeze made it worst. Vex and I exchanged worried glances before taking our first step on the mountain path. The path wasn't completely covered in snow which was good for me because being so short, I would have major troubles. We made our way through the snowy mountain. There were trees lining on both sides of the path and beyond those trees were more trees. Basically, it was a forest surrounding the path we were taking to Moonlight Town. It was a peaceful area.

"I wonder what this place will be like," Vex said out of the blue.

I nodded slowly and continued to look at the scenery. "Me too," I responded and lowered my gaze to the snowy ground below my paws. "Hopefully it's like Silvermist with a bunch of nice Pokémon." I smiled at the thought of how nice some Pokémon were and how it felt like everyone was family there.

"It's strange how I have never heard of this place. I know about a lot of these surrounding areas but I have never once heard of Moonlight Town," He moved the bag higher up on his shoulder and huffed. "I do not like this bag!" He sighed and began to drag it.

I rolled my eyes at him and took the bag from him. I gently set it across my back and continued on. "It's not all that bad!" I told him. "It's kind of light. I guess I am stronger than you," I teased him.

"Pfft! You wish!" Vex huffed and crossed his arms. "Oh well, since you took it, you're stuck with it." He then took a few steps ahead and then immediately stopped. "What was that?"

I wasn't paying attention and I had bumped into him. "Ow!" I whined and fell back some. "Why are you stopping?!"

He looked around the area after silencing me. After standing there for a few seconds in silence, he relaxed. "I could have sworn I heard something," He muttered.

"It's just your imagination! Come on. We need to get to Moonlight Town!" I trailed past him.

 **(Ending First Person with Marcy. Starting Third Person with Gallade.) -** A tall Pokémon hid behind the trees, watching every movement of the two little and young Pokémon. He had seen no suspicious activity coming from them – in fact, they seemed like every day normal Pokémon. Except for that Eevee known as Marcy. Something was different about her. He didn't dare say a word to her or any other pokémon in Silvermist Town. If he were to show himself randomly around Silvermist, Pokémon would get suspicious. They wouldn't know who he was or even what he was there for on account for his mysterious and quiet self. He was definitely a mysterious Pokémon who didn't want to reveal himself. After seeing what happened with the legendary ice pokémon Regice, he's been on the down low. He doesn't want his name mentioned around anyone.

He continued to follow after the two little Pokémon, wondering what they were doing and why. There was something about that eevee he needed to know about. It felt like he knew her from somewhere. He felt like he couldn't leave her side – like he needed to protect her from danger. But she was just another pokémon, wasn't she? To him, she was more than just another pokémon. There was this feeling inside him that was telling him to keep a look out for her. She was a special Eevee. She had to be! Out of his entire pokémon life (ever since he was a Ralts) he has never seen an Eevee with a patch of light brown over one of her eyes. It was his duty to watch out over certain pokémon. He was basically their body-guard. And this eevee and riolu were his pokémon.

As he continued after them, he noticed something in the distance. The eevee and riolu must have not noticed the thing in the distance. Quickly, Gallade ran ahead of Marcy and Vex, just barely kicking up the snow in the forest that he was following them in.

"I could have sworn I heard something," Vex muttered.

"It's just your imagination! Come on. We need to get to Moonlight Town!" Marcy replied.

He had passed up Vex and Marcy and was now ahead. He came to a slow stop and hid in the forest. His eyes grew wide in fear and suspicion at the sight of Darkrai. "Oh no," He whispered. "It's you."


	9. Chapter Eight - The Spirit Tower

Sorry for the lack of drama and entertainment.. I promise to add some next chapter. :D

 **Chapter Eight**

 **The Spirit Tower**

Vex and I came to a quick halt after seeing this random Pokémon being pushed out in front of us. We watched as he landed hard. He was propped up on one of his blades and one of his knees was up. He was staring at the bushes as if something was there. He had just appeared out of nowhere and right in front of us. I wonder if he was battling another Pokémon but he seemed completely fine.

A loud grumbling noise was heard and a dark figure stumbled out of the bushes. "Oww," The large black Pokémon whined. He fell down and was now holding his arm. "Why would you do such a terrible thing?" He asked the green and white Pokémon. He stared into the bushes, his eyes full of terror. "I told you I didn't do anything!"

"Oh my!" I gasped and ran over to the large black Pokémon. He looked upset that this random green and white Pokémon attacked him. "Hey! Are you okay?!" I asked the black and white Pokémon. I nudged at the dark ghost Pokémon and then jumped to face his attacker. "HEY! YOU! Back off!" I growled, all my fur fluffing up.

Vex glared at the green and white Pokémon and snapped, "What's your problem?! What did he do to you?!"

I nodded in agreement and then nudged the dark type Pokémon back up some, or attempted to. He was heavy, and a ghost type… Being a normal type pokémon, I wasn't much use. I then glared toward the other pokémon again and growled, "Seriously!"

The green and white Pokémons eyes grew wide and he stared at the both of us. He looked shocked and confused, not wondering what to do. "What… What are you talking about?" He asked, his gaze shifting between the three of us. His head shook as he replied, "Y-you don't understand! You've got it all wrong."

Vex and I stepped in front of the dark Pokémon and glared at the green and white one. How can we have it wrong? He attacked the innocent Pokémon! From what we saw, there was nothing going on. There were no loud crashes or bangs or anything. It was quiet all around us and then he attacked this other Pokémon!

"No! _You_ don't understand!" I snapped and within a few seconds stars came shooting out of my mouth. The swift attack hit the green and white Pokémon, causing him to throw up his arm to block them. "You don't attack pokémon who are innocent!"

The green and white pokémon closed his eyes at the same time his arm was thrown up to block the stars. Then he opened his eyes and shook his head. He then noticed Darkrai's wicked grin shooting in his direction. "No… I…" He trailed off and backed away from Vex and I who were nearing in on him. Pushing himself up onto his feet, the Pokémon turned away and ran through the bushes to get away from us.

Vex and I watched him disappear before turning back to the black and white Pokémon. "Here! Let us help you!" I told him and began to nose through the bag. Catching the scent of an Oran berry, I grabbed it gently with my mouth and carried it to the other Pokémon.

He blinked but bit into the berry anyway. "Thank you," He murmured to us and finished the berry quickly. "I need to get going," The black and white Pokémon told us and floated back above the ground.

"Are you sure?" I asked him.

"Yes," He replied with a smile. "I thank you for your help. My name is Darkrai," He brushed off the dust from him and floated a little higher in the sky. "That Pokémon you saw attack me is known as Gallade. He's a terrible Pokémon." He sighed and shook his head. "I have been trying to chase him down forever but I haven't had the best of luck. Going up against a fighting type pokémon isn't the easiest," He frowned a little but then replaced it with a bright smile. "Goodbye friends!" He called and floated away.

I watched him disappear into the sky. Then my gaze lowered and I scanned the trees, wondering where the evil Pokémon, 'Gallade' went. He seemed so familiar and I gasped loudly. "Oh my Arceus!"

Vex jumped beside me and frantically looked around, "WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY?!" He freaked.

"VEX!" I turned to him and stared at him with wide brown eyes. "That Pokémon! That Green and white one! I've seen him before! He was on a wanted poster a few days ago! HE'S THE THIEF! I'm sure of it!" I began to pace back and forth, my gaze now staring at the snow covered ground below me. "The missing stuff from the SimiStore and the missing food! That has to be the Pokémon! THAT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING!"

Vex jumped and covered his mouth with his hands. "OH MY ARCEUS! You're right! That has to be! The way he attacked Darkrai?!"

"YES!" We both gasped at the same time.

"ACK! We still need to get to Moonlight Town! We'll worry about this later!" Vex took off on the path, his arms flaying behind him.

I quickly ran after him, excited that we finally figured out the mystery of the thief!

(OR DID THEY?!)

We finally reached Moonlight Town. It was a sweet little town but not many Pokémon lived here. We walked under the sign that said, 'Moonlight Town.' It was deep within the mountains and was always shaded over. In other words, it was surrounded by mountains and trees. There wasn't much there. There were a few random buildings that sat here and there and they all looked very similar. It was like everything was built the same. It was a pretty town though and I was sure it was very peaceful here too.

We walked through the town, looking at everything surrounding the main path that took us through the town. The path led us to a huge, abandoned looking tower. There were broken windows here and there and a few patches of open areas. From the distance, I could see a few Pokémon looking through the huge patches of missing bricks. However, they were a little too high up for me to see what Pokémon was what. I could hear cheering from the inside and noises from the back. This was definitely a mysterious tower.

I then saw three Pokémon standing outside the tower, their backs facing us. "Maybe they know where Sunny is?" I stated.

Vex nodded and ran toward the tower.

I followed him and blinked. I recognized all three Pokémon! My gaze rested on the one that scared me the most… That was Banette. She was extremely creepy… I understand she's a ghost and a Banette but she wasn't very nice when I first met her.

"HI! Yeah. Hi. I'm Vex and I'm here on a mission for Cinccino's guild. I need to find someone named Sunny. Do you know of her?" Vex asked, totally ignoring the fact that we have seen them before.

The three Pokémon turned around to face us and blinked. "Hey! You're those two Pokémon we keep saving!" Houndoom said and grinned widely at us.

Banette turned and smiled. "Welcome to Moonlight Town!" She cheered happily and waved both of her arms at us.

I flattened my ears and frowned. I didn't like Banette still and I didn't like her cheery attitude. It didn't fit her… I can see Houndoom being slightly cheerful but not… Not Banette. She wasn't nice… But then again, one shouldn't judge a pokémon by their skin.

Absol said nothing, just dipped his head in greeting.

Vex blinked and tilted his head. "HEY! IT'S YOU GUYS!" He gasped and jumped back some. "What are you guys doing here? Do you live here? What's that tower? Oh! I need to find Sunny. Do you know her?!"

I raised an Eevee-Eyebrow (Go with it) at Vex and shook my head. He was so ridiculous sometimes! I couldn't help but smile at him. He was just so random and caring a lot… I then shook my head and returned my gaze to the three of them. "Hello," I greeted.

Banette grinned widely at Vex and patted him on his head. "I will answer your questions later. Wait here." She turned away from us and floated high up the tower, looking at the sky as she did so. She stopped on the side of the tower. Right where she was, there were not any bricks and it was crumbled some. A few seconds later, she came back down with a green bug Pokémon.

"This is Scyther! He will take you to Sunny's! We have a lot of work to do. When you two are done with Sunny, come back and we'll answer your questions!" Banette smiled and turned away. "Absol and Houndoom, off we go!" She began to float away and the two dog-like Pokémon followed quickly after her. They disappeared into the tower.

Scyther smiled in greeting to us and then began to walk back through the town, "This way. This way!" He told us.

Sunny was a young and very active vileplume who was extremely talkative… We couldn't stay long because it was getting dark and I was exhausted! Even Vex was tired, his shoulders were drooping and his posture was a little off-balance. This snow didn't help very much considering we were both short and basically had to hop through it. It was nice that some pokémon would leave trails through the area. Sunny seemed like a very caring vileplume though. When we had reached her little home in Moonlight Town, she actually had a couple pokémon with her. She told us she was treating them and practicing some medicines. She was talking and talking and wouldn't stop. It was kind of nice to have someone around who talked a lot. I learned a lot about different berries and plants that I could use too. I learned the positives and negatives about plants. I learned about the side-effects of a few berries too. However, I can't really remember it all…

We were now on our way back to the tower with two bags full of berries. Vex was carrying a bag and I was carrying the other one. (The main bag.) We stopped in front of the tower and looked around, wondering where Banette was. We sat there for a few seconds, examining the berries that we had received. "That was very interesting," I commented as I sat down on the cold snowy-path.

Vex nodded and looked at me with a smile. "Yeah it was! We sure did learn a lot." He then let out a huge yawn. "Now we got so many berries… It was so kind of Sunny and Frilly to give us the berries they did. And the honey? Oh I want some…" He pulled out one of the jars of honey and stared at it. "I'm hungry Marcy!" He whined.

"Me too," I murmured as my belly growled. I sighed and flattened my ears, "I still want to know what this place is," I murmured quietly and looked up to the huge tower. It looked as though it were leaning. "Hrm… Is it just part of the town?" I wondered. It gave off a very eerie look too. It was just so mysterious… Maybe it's because Banette lives here? I'm sure there were plenty of other ghost pokémon that lived here, making this place so creepy.

Vex crossed his arms and examined the tower. "I don't think so. It has to be something special, right? There are Pokémon there."

"True, true… But still."

"Are you Marcy and Vex?" A soft voice asked us.

We turned around to see a small, pale yellow Pokémon with light purple colored eyes. Also a pair of large black jaws emerging from the back of its head showed.

"We are. And who are you?" Vex asked.

She smiled some and looked away, "I'm Molly, a Mawile. It's nice to meet you," She whispered shyly and avoided our gaze.

"It's nice to meet you Molly," I replied.

"Hello!" Vex said with a little wave.

The Mawile smiled and she blushed some. "Um. Right this way, please." She motioned us toward the large tower. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting… Banette and the others had a mission they embarked… They were actually supposed to be leaving when you two both showed up. However, everything went great. I'm here to bring you up to them."

The doors to the large tower opened and exposed us to a huge circular, beautiful room. It was just marvelous! After seeing the décor on the outside, I figured that it was going to be just as broken down on the inside as well. I looked around the tall room and a smile formed. I could see the broken down rocks forming different Pokémon. There was a fountain in the middle of the room with a large Pokémon on it. The statue looked like Banette, but I couldn't tell. There were stone benches lining the room as well as log-benches that have been neatly carved. Pictures were in the room as well of different Pokémon. At the far end of the room, I could see a display case. I couldn't see what was in it, but it was still a real nice area. My gaze traveled over to the circular staircase and I flattened my ears. I was most likely going to have to _climb_ that!  
"This place is beautiful!" I commented happily, looking away from the staircase and trying not to worry so much. I was just so tired and I wanted to get some sleep. I didn't want to climb stairs but it looked like we were about to.

Mawile lead us to the staircase. "You two are needed at the very top of the room tower. It's not as bad as you think either." She smiled some and turned away from us.

Vex and I both groaned and began to climb the stairs.

By the time we reached the last floor of the Spirit Tower, we were breathing heavily. Those stairs were way too much! We even fell down at the last platform and were now lying there, trying to catch our breaths.

"Th-that was ter-terr-terrible!" Vex said in-between breaths. His eyes shut as he rolled onto his back and outstretched his arms. He was careful not to hurt the berries that sat in his bag.

"Y-yeah," I replied and looked ahead.

"Wowwww. You two are sooooo in shapppeeee," Houndoom remarked, rolling his eyes.

"Y-You tr-try to go up t-the st-stairs for your first time!" Vex replied, catching his breath toward the end of the sentence.

We both stood up and looked at the Houndoom. "Where is Banette?" I asked.

Houndoom turned away and flicked his tail, motioning us to follow him through these huge doors.

Following him through these _huge_ double doors, we stepped onto the balcony. The balcony was huge and it overlooked the _entire_ Moonlight Town. It was a beautiful town at the most beautiful part of the day. The sun was setting over the mountains that surrounded the village. I could just barely see the ocean from the balcony too. The sun was setting over it, turning it to a marvelous orange and red color. I could even see Silvermist Town from the balcony! And the snow surround the area looked amazing. It was like a winter wonderland. My eyes shone with happiness. "Wow. This is beautiful," I whispered. It was definitely the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. The snow and the sunset… It was amazing.

"Isn't it?!" Vex whispered in response. His eyes were sparkling just as much as mine were.

"Welcome to Moonlight Town. And welcome to the Spirit Tower. From here, you can see so much. Silvermist Town, the Ocean, and so much more," Banette's voice sounded softly.

We turned around to see Banette. Her hands were behind her back and her eyes were shining softly as she floated just barely above the balcony. Beside her sat Absol and Houndoom who was gazing at the sunset. "Welcome to my guild."

"Guild?" Echoed Vex and I in shock.

"Yes. Of course," Banette floated toward the railing of the balcony and sat on it. She was staring out and down at the town below her. "This tower is where Pokémon can stay, if they have a mega evolution. And if they wish to master their Mega form." She explained softly. "All the pokémon you see hear are trying their best to master their mega evolution. And my team," She said as she motioned to Houndoom and Absol, "Are here to bring it out."

I gasped. Mega form?! Did I just hear her right? I remember Ampharos explaining to us that Absol was a mega Pokémon. My gaze rested on the white Pokémon who had wings attached to his body. A normal Absol didn't have wings. A normal Houndoom didn't have such huge bones attached to him. I wasn't sure about Banette though.

A bright blue light came from Banette and she became smaller. The blue light disappeared and she looked different! She didn't have all the zippers and the purple. I gasped in surprise. "What?!"

"Behold a normal every-day Banette. This is my normal form. The form that all Banette's have after evolving. However," the bright blue light shone again and she went back to her mega form and continued, "I have the ability to control whether or not I'm in my Mega Form. As do all the other Pokémon who have mastered the ability. We do have trainees who have yet to evolve or even master their Mega Form. Houndoom, Absol, and I are three of the few Pokémon who have mastered the ability." Her gaze rested on Vex and she smiled some. She didn't say anything, just turned her back against us and stared out to the sun that had now almost disappeared.4

I watched her stare at my partner for a moment before letting out a little giggle. I frowned.

"It takes moons and moons of training to master these forms," Absol spoke from behind us. "In the end, it's all worth it. You are stronger and sometimes, even considered a different type of Pokémon." His voice was deep and mysterious but he sounded very confident.

Houndoom nodded and smiled, "You may be looked at like you're different, even though you're still the same Pokémon. You're so much stronger in your form…" The pokémons eyes' shone and he took a step ahead of us and beside his partner. He put both paws up on the railing to the balcony and stared at the sun.

Banette giggled and scratched the dogs ear and turned her attention back to us.

Vex and I listened to their words, happily. It was amazing to learn about the Mega Evolution of a Pokémon.

"Sadly, not all Pokémon have a mega form. Only certain Pokémon have a Mega Form. One day, you will meet all the Mega Pokémon. Perhaps even have one a part of your guild. No one knows," Banette spoke with such pride, "Now you have learned about the Mega Evolution. Please, get some rest and we will continue this conversation tomorrow. Actually, Marcy… May I speak to you?" She asked, her gaze resting on me.

Houndoom and Absol nodded at Banette. "Come with us, Vex. We will take you to your temporary room and gather some food for you," Absol spoke.

Vex blinked and looked at me. He frowned some. "But…"

Banette wagged her finger at him and shook her head, "Nono. I must speak with your friend."

I flattened my ears. I didn't want to be left alone with Banette. I didn't completely trust her. Then again, it was very hard for me to trust any Pokémon I hardly knew. I frowned some and nodded slowly at Vex. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine!" I just didn't like Banette. She was weird.

He nodded at me and turned to walk away with Absol and Houndoom. As they left the balcony, the large doors shut behind them.

That's when Banette completely changed. She turned on me quickly and began to circle me, eyeing me from my ear tips to my claws of my paws. "You're not from around here." She muttered, stopping in front of me and glaring hard at me. "You're not from Silvermist or Moonlight or any town from around here. There's something completely different about you." Her eyes filled with curiosity and what looked like anger. "I have never once encountered an Eevee with markings such as yours! A light brown patch over your right eye?" She stared at me hard in my right eye. "Your paws are lighter than the rest of your body!"

I flattened myself to the ground. Did she know I used to be human? And if she did, what would she do to me? Did she even know anything about a human?

A loud gasp sounded from her and she instantly backed up, floating over the railing of the balcony. Her eyes grew wide and she shook her head, looking away from me. "This can't be possible; it just can't be!" She placed her hands on her head and she looked much stressed out. "You're not from this world at all, ARE YOU?!" She questioned me. The pokémon shook her head and the curiosity was replaced with full anger. Obviously she did not approve of me.

I took a step back and stared up at her. She looked angry! Did I do something wrong?! Was it bad I was a human from a different world?! I began to quiver with fear. What if she cursed me? What if she told everyone and made me a cast out? What would become of me?

"ANSWER MY QUESTION!" She demanded.

I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off by a loud voice.

"GUILD MASTER BANETTE, WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY!" A large, flying, purple and black Pokémon yelled to her. "Come quickly!" It turned away and began to head out of the village, disappearing into the darkness that had fallen onto us.

Banette growled and glared at me. She said nothing, just took off after the purple and black Pokémon.

I turned around quickly, panicking. I pushed open the large doors as best I could and slipped through the little area that I could. I ran down the stairs and then tumbled over my own foot. Now, I was rolling down the stairs. I then crashed into something, breaking the tumble that I had going on. I now had a huge ear-splitting headache. Looking up, I noticed Vex standing there.

"WHOA MARCY! Are you okay? I hope so. Come on, let's get you something to eat," He murmured and picked me up as best he could. The small blue and black pokémon rested a hand on my shoulder, trying to hold me up.

His touch was warm and it made me feel better slightly. I'm beyond grateful to have someone as my partner like Vex. I smiled softly at him before standing on my paws. "That hurt so badly," I whispered and stared at the top of the stairs. I thought I would have seen Banette there, staring down coldly at me. She wasn't there, thank Arceus. "I'm fine," I whisper to Vex.

"This way," He gently tugged at my furry scruff and I followed him into our temporary room.

The room was kind of small but it worked. There were two beds that looked very comfortable at the moment. I just wanted to crash down on one and go to sleep, forgetting the entire day. The room was lit up by two lights and it gave it sort of a chilly feeling. But we had a window. I looked out the large window and down at the town that was getting lit up with gleaming lights. Turning my attention away from the town, I sat down on one of the beds that I had managed to get to. Why was Banette being so weird… Why couldn't she just leave me alone? Now apparently two pokémon know I'm human… Why? How did they even find out?

"Here," Vex spoke softly and he sat a large apple down in front me.

"Thank you," I replied to him quietly. I didn't want to speak. I was still shaken up by the sudden change of mood of Banette's. It scared me.

"Are you okay?" Vex asked.

I took a huge bite out of the apple, enjoying the taste as I did so. I haven't eaten anything at all today but maybe a berry or two. I was starving. "Yes," I lied quickly.

He frowned and sat against the wall. "Marcy," He mumbled, holding an apple of his own. The Pokémon didn't take a bite of it or even rub it with his arm. He just stared at it. "Are you sure? You seem a little spooked..."

"I'm… Just tired," I replied. I wasn't going to tell him what Banette had said to me. I was very spooked out by it. Was it a bad thing that I used to be a human and was turned to an Eevee? There has to be a reason behind it. But what was it? Maybe Banette knew something about it. The way she reacted to me was scary but it's like she knew something.

"Right. Me too. We had a very long day." He bit into his apple.

We ate the rest of the food silence. I didn't want to speak to him about Banette. Would he even care? I glanced over at him and he was already getting comfortable in the makeshift bedding that the guild made for us. I guess it would be a good idea to get some sleep. After all, we were going to get up early tomorrow. We had to get back to Cinccino's guild.

I removed the bag that I was carrying and set it to the side of me. It felt nice to get that heavy bag off my shoulders and my back. Sighing in relief, I circled my feathery-bed a few times before plopping down in it.

"Hey Marcy?" He whispered softly as he cuddled his arms.

"What is it?" I replied.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" He whispered, gazing over to me with such gentle eyes.

I tucked my nose under my tail and blushed. "Y-yes, Vex. You're my partner afterall!"

He smiled brightly and gave me a thumbs up, "That's right! We're Team Comet!"

I smiled underneath my tail fuzz and closed my eyes. "We are… Goodnight Vex," I whispered to him and fell asleep.


	10. Chapter Nine - Secrets

**Chapter Nine**

 **Secrets**

A strange cool breeze whipped in through the cracks of the window, causing a chill to fill the room. The slightly flickering candle light was put out as the wind crept through. A soft whistling noise sounded and an eerie feeling filled the air. Vex's eyes slowly opened and he looked around the room, a huge yawn escaped him. The riolu sat up with his legs outstretched in front of him. He then rubbed his eyes and yawned again. "What?" He whispered quietly and eyed the dark room. There was nothing there and little light from the street-lights outside. He stood up and lazily made his way over to the window. He pressed all his body weight against the window and finally got it shut. It was hard to shut because the wind was so strong. He then leaned against the cold glass and sighed. He scanned the room and his gaze fell on the sleeping Eevee who was curled up tightly in her nest. She was shivering some and Vex felt a little sorry for the poor thing. Before they went to sleep, she was acting a little strange. She was acting like something or someone had scared her out of her mind! She said she was _just_ tired but was that really true? What if Banette had said something to make her seem so scared? What did Banette say to her anyway?

Vex shook his head and scurried around the room looking for something. He reached into a basket that was placed in the and grabbed something soft. It was a blanket! He pulled it out and smiled. Tiptoeing over to Marcy, his mind kept racing with thoughts. He then sat the blanket on Marcy who instantly snuggled with it. Her shivering had stopped and she was now sleeping peacefully. A soft and gentle smile showed on his face and he stared at the weird light brown patch over her eye. He reached out to gently brush it before pulling away. It was so strange that she was like this. She wasn't a normal eevee but she was his partner. Joy filled him and he scratched right behind her ear. "You sleep well," He whispered to her.

Turning away, Vex went over to the door that leads to their room. He quietly pushed the door open and made his way out of it, shutting it softly behind him. The tower was so peaceful and quiet with barely any noises from other Pokémon. However, he looked around and could make out some of the Pokémon that lived in the Spirit Tower. Vex made his way to the top of the tower, where they were first told to see Banette and the others. As he reached the top, he realized that the door had been opened. Curiosity sparked in the young Riolu. Who would be outside so late with such cold weather? Or perhaps the last Pokémon out to the balcony didn't get the door shut completely. Either way, Vex was still a little curious. He poked his head through the opening of the door and instantly got covered with cold air. He quickly brought his head back in and huffed.

"What are you doing?" A deep voice sounded from behind him.

Vex jumped and he stood still. He then put one hand behind his head and turned around slowly, shutting his eyes. A huge, embarrassed smile sat on his face as he replied with a soft chuckle, "Heh. Heh… Nothing…" His eyes opened and he gasped. "Oh. It's only you, Absol!"

Absol looked down at him and stepped forward. He then used his sickle-shaped horn to shut the door, pulling it backwards and toward him. "You should not be up so late," He told Vex and stared down at him with his gleaming red eyes.

Vex frowned and sighed. "I couldn't get back to sleep!" He truthfully told Absol.

He simply just nodded and made a gruff noise. "If that's the case, would you mind coming with me?" The white furred Pokémon turned away from Vex and began to make his way down the circular staircase.

"U-uh… Sure?" Vex replied and tailed after Absol. He began to wonder what the Dark Pokémon wanted from him.

"Tell me… How did you meet your partner?" Absol asked, trying to start back up the conversation.

"Huh? Oh, Marcy? Oh! Well. I was just leaving Cincinno's guild because… Of reasons and I went to the beach to calm down. I was just strolling along and then I saw this strange figure on the beach. I didn't know what it was, so I approached with caution. I then realized it was an Eevee, a washed-up Eevee in fact," Vex explained.

"Washed-up?" Absol echoed with no emotion behind his voice. He nodded.

Vex nodded and began to walk beside the Pokémon. "That's right!" He replied with a smile, "I woke her up and she kind of freaked out."

"Hm… It's not common for a Pokémon to be washed up on the beach," Absol murmured softly. "That's very strange."

Vex sounded a little offended when he replied, "Hey! Any Pokémon can be washed up on the beach!"

"Tell me this then… What day was it?" He asked.

"Day? Um. It was the day after that huge storm."

Absol didn't reply and just began to think quietly to himself.

The pair finally reached the bottom of the stairs where few Pokémon roamed. The round room was lit up with different lights and candles. Absol walked to the back of the circular room (furthest from the front door).

"How did you join this guild?" Vex asked out of the blue.

Absol froze and looked down at him, his eyes looking rather wide as if he was a little scared to say anything. "How?" He murmured and cleared his throat. "Well. I guess I was a very young Absol when it happened. There was supposed to be a major storm the day I wanted to go out and explore. My parents didn't allow me, however I disobeyed them and went out anyway. I was with my friend though. Her name was Rayne. At the time, we were both living in Mt. Jade. It was a beautiful and huge forest on the mountains. It started to rain gently and we both thought that it was no big deal. It was just a little sprinkle here and there. That's when the wind began to pick up. Rayne and I ignored it and continued to play and explore the forest," He fell quiet and his gaze clouded up some. "Then the rain began to fall harder and we went looking for shelter. The nearest place we found was in some cave. However, in this cave there was a huge Pokémon there and forced us out. We had to go looking for some other place. The skies got dark and it began to storm. Rain and thunder… It was a terrible storm. Rayne and I got separated in the dark and I was on my own. I had no idea where to go or what to do. So I began to follow the river upstream. As I was doing so, the ground began to get slippery and muddy… My foot slipped and I fell over into the rushing water. At the time, I didn't know how to swim. My parents never taught me. So, there I was, trying my best to catch my breath by bobbing up and down in the water. However, the current was too powerful and I went down and under. I wasn't sure what happened during that time, but I woke up here in the Spirit Tower." The Winged-Absol looked at the display case that sat in front of them. He then continued, "I was saved by a member of the guild. However, I never met him. They say he was an Alakazam and they say he was the best guild member they ever had. He was the best leader they ever had. Then one day, he disappeared. No one knew where he went or what happened to him but one Pokémon. That Pokémon is Banette. But she chooses not to share with us what happened to him. She just tells us one day we'll learn his story. Alakazam had a very good friend who told me about Mega Evolutions. I decided to join their guild in hopes of one day returning to my family and hopefully finding Alakazam. But I also joined because I thought it was an opportunity in a lifetime. I was so excited to join," He finished with a sigh.

Vex listened so very well and his eyes grew wide. "Whoa. That's... Incredible!" He whispered, obviously amused. He was always a Pokémon easily amused.

Absol let out a soft chuckle and nodded before pointing to the display case. "You see this case here?" He asked.

Vex stood on his tiptoes to see into the case. He gasped at all the different colored stones that sat in the case. There were over twenty different, beautiful stones! They were beautiful stones. Each of them had a little name-tag below them, labeling each stone.

"These are the very first Mega Stones. They were introduced to the guild by the Great Alakazam. He keeps all of these stones here, proving that Mega Evolution is possible and is a wonderful thing to the Pokémon who are able Mega-Evolve," Absol explained softly.

Vex's eyes scanned the tags and he quietly named them off, "Mega Garchomp, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Mawile, and Mega Aggron…" He continued to name them until his gaze rested on the last one. A loud gasp sounded from him, "Mega…. Lucario?!" He couldn't believe it! There was a stone for _his_ evolution form! How could that be possible? Excitement lit up from him and he began to bounce up and down. "THIS IS AMAZING!" He gasped. "I can be turned into a Mega Lucario?!" He asked with wide eyes.

Absol nodded and stared at the stone. "Yes. You have a Mega Evolution, Vex."

"That is… Sooooo cool! What's it look like? Can I use it now? How do I evolve into a Lucario?!" He asked questions nonstop.

"Shh!" Absol sighed, listening to how loud he got. "Quiet down before you wake the sleeping Pokémon. Your time to evolve won't be very soon, Vex. You're still very young and have a lot to learn about the world until you can become a Lucario. And when that day comes, you may want to train with us for a little bit until you can Mega evolve."

Vex stared down at the stone and continued to speak, "But... I want to evolve _now_ Absol!"

"You cannot rush something that happens naturally."

"Why can't I?!"

"That's not how it's done, Vex. When you are ready to evolve, you will. But for now, you must continue your training with Cinccino's guild and continue to learn about the world surrounding you," Absol spoke truthfully. He looked down at the smaller Pokémon and something glinted in his eyes for that small Pokémon. Pride? Joy? What was it?  
Vex sighed, "You're right Absol." He murmured and turned away from the display case. "I just have to be patient!" A loud huff sounded from him and he began to pout. He crossed his arms and stared at the ground. "I hate being patient!"

Absol chuckled and shook his head. "Now, try and get some rest. You have a long journey back to Cinccino's tomorrow. Perhaps it may be a quick journey. Who knows?" He nudged Vex toward the stairs.

Vex flailed forward and sighed. "Okayyyy," He sighed and made his way back up the stairs to his room. "Stupid stairs," he muttered. The Riolu reached the room and made quietly opened the door, walked in and then shut it gently behind him. His gaze scanned the room and he noticed Marcy still sleeping under the blanket. How could he sleep knowing there was a mega evolution just for him?

The next morning, I woke up with a start. I was breathing heavily from the terrible dream I had. My gaze swept the room and I began to look around for something that might resemble the terrible nightmare. A sigh escaped me. Nothing was in the room except for Vex and I. I stood up and realized that something was gently resting up on. I turned my head to notice a blanket and I was a little confused to as of how it got there. It wasn't on me when I went to sleep. Shrugging, I shook the blanket off and stretched my way over to the window. (Like, stepping but stretching at the same time.) Outside the window, Moonlight Town was already covered in shadows from the mountains surrounding it. The snow on the other side of the mountains was shining brightly as the sun shone. It was surprising that it wasn't snowing at the moment. It has been snowing non-stop since it started. It was a relief that it was snowing for once. I turned away from the window and trailed to Vex. I then nudged him, hoping to wake him up. "Hey! Vex. It's time to get up!" I murmured.

Vex rolled over and now had his back to me, saying something.

I tilted my head some and then poked at his back, rather hard.

He didn't even stir.

I huffed. I then bit, knowing that will hopefully wake him up.

"HEY!" Vex screamed and turned around quickly, kicking me away from him.

I scattered back and stared at him. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

"YOU BIT ME!"

"I DID NOT!" I lied. "Okay, maybe just a little…"  
"A LITTLE?!" Vex huffed and stood up. "Next time don't bite me!" He whined and crossed his arm and turned his back to me.

I stuck my tongue out at him before shaking out my fur. "Fine. I'll use swift next time. Better?"

Vex shook his head and stretched out his arms, shaking his hands as well. "No-no! Just… Try harder next time!"

I rolled my eyes at him and nodded. "I'll try!" I then reached down and nosed under my bag strap and maneuvered it onto my shoulders.

Vex picked up his own bag and made his way to the door and opened it. We both left the room and went down the stairs which were still dreadful!

"Okay. So, if we leave soon, we should be there before the sun goes completely down," Vex spoke, looking around the round room.

I looked around the room as well, seeing all the Pokémon active and ready for the day. There was a Combustion and Meditite near the front of the guild, punching the air. A Mega Evolved Manetric walked through the doors with a normal Garchomp. All the Pokémon looked so happy and busy with their activities. I smiled and began to think of Cincinno's guild. I have not seen any of the guild members for two days. I kind of missed them. I missed the meals that Medicham cooked and I miss how happy the members are. I was feeling homesick. I sat down at the bottom of the stairs and eyed everyone around me. I was wondering where Banette was – if she had even gotten back from her mission last night.

"Hrm… I wonder where Banette and them are," He murmured.

I tensed and flattened my ears some. "Yeah," I whispered. I didn't want to see Banette after her little episode with me last night. She still freaked me out and she knew I wasn't from this world. What if she tried to get rid of me? No she wouldn't… She just couldn't!

"Banette is still out," Houndoom's voice sounded from behind us.

We turned around to look at the huge Pokémon eyeing us both. His gaze seemed to be set on me though. He looked confused or upset. I couldn't tell. Houndoom's always looked serious – in my opinion.

"Where did she go?" Vex asked.

"She went on a mission and then went to speak with the Town's Elder about something," Houndoom replied and looked at me. "Hrm…" He examined me closely, causing me to stumble back some, before turning away. "I assume you're leaving?" He asked us.

"Ooh! What kind of mission?" Vex asked, sounding excited. "Can we go help?!"

Houndoom growled and shook his head, little flames coming out of his mouth. "No. Go back to Cinccino's guild. I'm sure Medicham will be excited for the return of his berries and apples."

I took a step back and nudged Vex, "We should go."

Vex nodded. "I suppose you're right. Thank you for the help, Houndoom. Give Absol and Banette our thanks!" He smiled and began to walk to the front doors.

Both of the doors were propped open and we walked out to the path that took us through Moonlight Town. We looked around at the buildings that sat on the side of the path. We could see smoke coming up through chimneys. It must be cold since some of these buildings were so thin. There were few Pokémon happily running outside in the snow, some with scarves some with hats and earmuffs. (Hey, if it's in the anime it's in this story. :P) In front of one of the houses, there was an Emolga and Petilil happily chasing after each other. I smiled at them. I continued after Vex.

Okay so they walk, blah blah blah, they reach Silvermist. WOO!

"FINALLY, we're back!" I groaned, flopping on the ground in a pile of snow that was there. I laid there for a few seconds before hearing a familiar voice. I looked up to see the familiar metal and dark type Pokémon addressing a group of Pokémon. "What's going on there?" I drug myself through the snow to get to the back of the group to look to Bisharp.

"There has been no word from the Legendary Articuno. We have gone through the mountains numerous times in search of her. We have not seen her anywhere," Bisharp told everyone, moving his metallic hands all around.

"That's impossible! What has happened to her?! Is Articuno okay? Has anything happened?" A Glameow asked, her voice trembling with fear.

Bisharp silenced her with a wave of one of his arms. "Quiet down, Glameow. We will find her. She is probably just roaming the skies and avoiding trouble," He explained with a soft sigh.

"How do we know that?!" Another Pokémon asked Bisharp.

He gazed at the Pokémon and sighed some, "I don't know."

"But you're the great Explorer Bisharp!" Fletchling squeaked, shivering.

"I will find Articuno," He promised everyone and put a hand up to his gray chest.

The towns-Pokémon began to murmur quietly.

I frowned. They still haven't heard anything about Articuno which disappointed me. We were gone for two days and they haven't found one trace of Articuno. Was the legendary bird even the cause of this? She couldn't possibly cause all this snow by herself in the middle of fall. There had to be another Pokémon. Then again, I knew nothing about her except that she was an ice, bird Pokémon. Perhaps it was possible for her to cause all of this. But why are they suspecting only Articuno?

"If Articuno really was the cause of this, I would definitely teach her a lesson to go and freeze OUR town like this!" A voice hissed.

"Articuno isn't as good as I thought she was," Another voice whispered.

I wanted to reply to the Pokémon who were bashing on poor Articuno, but they might have a point. Maybe Articuno isn't all that good of a Pokémon.

"HEY! You're finally back!" A cruel laughter sounded.

Vex and I turned around noticed Dusk (the Pawniard) and Coal (the Houndour). They were also accompanied with another Pokémon. "Who is that?" I asked the Pokémon, seeing the floating purple and pink Pokémon. There was also this stone hanging around her neck and I wondered what kind of Pokémon this was. She was kind of pretty, in a way.

"I am Maggie," The Pokémon replied with a soft smile.

"Wow. You're so much nicer than those two bozos. How'd you get stuck with them?!" Vex asked with a gasp.

She gave him a cold glare before turning to face me. "You must be Marcy, am I right?" She asked.

I nodded and dipped my head. "Yes. If I may ask, what kind of Pokémon are you?"

"I am a Mismagius, a ghost Pokémon and these two 'bozos' team leader," She replied with a little twirl in the air. "You're that cute little Eevee that everyone in the guild is talking about, especially Flicker. She tends to talk about you a lot…"

Her voice sounded super familiar but I wasn't sure what it was from. I flattened my ears and then nodded, "It's nice to meet you." I then turned away and hurridly trotted off.

"HEY!" Vex called, yelling after me. "Where are you going? MARCY!" He called.

I was running in the direction to the guild, hoping to get away from these evil Pokémon. I did not like Coal or Dusk. They creeped me out and they were so mean! After the incident at the beach my first day, I didn't trust them. I didn't trust Maggie either. I mean, how could she possibly join their team? Why would she do that? Ghost pokémon, I tell you. They're always creeping on me. First Flicker, then Banette and now Maggie. I did not like this. She was just as cruel as they were. I came to a slow stop just before nearing the guild. My feet had grown tired by running and springing through the snow. I looked over my shoulder and then tackled Vex into the bushes surrounding us. I had pinned him down and looked around, worried out of my mind.

"OW! GET OFF MARCY!"

"SHH!" I growled to him and backed off the Riolu, allowing him to get up. "Listen and listen well," I muttered. I began to explain to Vex about Flicker and Banette. I told him how both of them know I'm not human and Flicker was just all over it. She wanted to know everything. I told him about how Banette reacted last night after she dismissed him and the other megas, leaving us by ourselves I told him all about how rude and cruel she was.

Vex was sitting down in the snow, listening intentionally to my story. He looked surprised when I explained him about these ghost pokémon. After I fell silent, he looked hurt but shocked. "Both Flicker and Banette know about you not being human? Why didn't you say anything to me? We could have questioned them together."

I blinked and looked taken back. Yeah... But that's not the point!" I murmured, flattening my ears.

He frowned and sat up straight. "But it is the point…" He replied and stood up, "Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"I figured you already knew about it…" I whispered and took a step back. "I thought you heard Flicker the other day when she blew up my eardrums about being human."

Vex said nothing but just nodded slowly, "Let's… Just get back to the guild to deliver this stuff," He mumbled. He began to walk away toward the guild.

I was left standing there, staring at the area where Vex had been sitting. I felt terrible now. Was he really upset that I didn't share with him about my Banette and Flicker? What could I do to make up for it? I could try to say sorry but I'm sure he won't take it completely serious. Would he even be able to trust me now?! I sighed and began to trail after him. I couldn't believe the look on his face. He looked so hurt.

We made it back to the guild and we gave the requested food to Medicham who even gave us a little pay. Vex said he didn't want it but Medicham insisted that we take it.

"Go on, take it! You worked so hard for it!" Medicham told us.

So I took the money and placed it in the bag that I was carrying. I smiled at Medicham in thanks before heading out and running into Ampharos.

"You're back! Oh that's outstanding! And you're not hurt at all. That's impressive." He smiled at me and looked around the guild. "Where did Vex go? I thought I just saw him." He shrugged and looked back down at me. "Since you're back at the guild, I'll let you have a rest. However, tomorrow you will be back and working for the guild. You still need to work hard if you want to go with us on the expedition." He wagged his finger at me and then walked into the dining to talk with Medicham, I guess.

I blinked. I totally forgot about the expedition! We had tons of work to do if we wanted to go on that expedition. I quickly looked around for Vex and saw him heading down the hallway to our room. I felt sorry and ashamed to talk to him. So instead, I left the guild once more and made my way to the main part of the town – where everyone always gathered. There were no Pokémon grouped up there and it kind of surprised me. However, I was kind of glad that there weren't so many Pokémon here. I made my way over to Kirlia's Bank. There, I ran into Flare and Flicker. "Hey!" I called to the two fire Pokémon.

Flicker turned around and gasped. "MARCY!" She squealed and floated over to me and began to float around me. "I MISSED YOU SO MUCH! Where have you been? I've been stuck with mean old Flare all day and yesterday! It was terrible!" She frowned at me and crossed her arms. "And I want to know more about your secret!" She said in a hushed tone.

"What was that?" Flare muttered, glaring at her. "What secret?" He demanded.

"OOPS! Nothing, no secret. Just happiness and truth!" Flicker grinned at the young fire type.

I smiled some at Flicker and let out a soft laugh, "Has it really been that bad? Ooh, tsk, tsk Flare. Bad Growlithe." I looked to the Growlithe who raised a Growlithe-Eyebrow at me and gave me this strange look.

"Right, right. Me? Bad?! Nah.. I'm the most loyal Pokémon you'll ever meet!" He then purposely stuck his chest out and shook his head.

"Aha. What have you two been up to?" I asked them. I also wanted to quickly change the subject about my 'secret.'

"We've been running missions all day long!" Flicker sighed and floated to the ground dramatically. "It's sooo exhausting!"

Flare poked the Litwick and rolled his eyes. "You're just a little Pokémon," He teased.

"I AM NOT!" She huffed and crossed her arms.

I laughed softly and nodded. "That's great. I'm exhausted too! Going to Moonlight Town and back is so tiring." I sighed.

"Moonlight Town?" Kirlia echoed, butting in on our conversation.

I turned and nodded at her. "Do you know of that place?"

"YES! It's a beautiful town. So majestic and wonderful. However, legend has it there's a Pokémon there who causes severe nightmares! I can't remember his name, but he's a huge scary Pokémon!" She let out a huge gasp. "Did you have any nightmares there?!"

Nightmares? I frowned at the thought of it. I did have a nightmare while I was in Moonlight Town but it wasn't all that serious. I was scared though. Everything was broken in my dream and everything was dead. There were no Pokémon and I was all alone. I had nothing around me in my dream and I felt so alone. Everything was cold and it was just scary. I could smell fire and in the distance, I could hear Pokémon calling for help. I even heard an evil laughter in the background.

"I… Didn't," I lied to Kirlia and looked away.

Kirlia frowned and leaned on the counter, resting her head in the palms of her hand. "If I hear anything about it, I'll let you know. I do know he's a dark type Pokémon though. He's like… A legendary Pokémon or something," She shrugged. "That's interesting you didn't have anything. I know… One day, mother had traveled to Moonlight Town to speak with the guild master and she came back with these horrible stories about a nightmare."

Litwick jumped up and floated high, her flame lighting up brightly. "Oh my gosh, I know it! I know him! I heard about him. I can't remember his name! ACCCCK!" She frowned and floated back down.

Growlithe and I listened to the two Pokémon before speaking up. "I guess we'll have to do a little research, right Flicker?" He asked.

Flicker nodded and sighed. "I guess so. But right now, let's go return these items to that Pokémon! COME ON FLAME!" She squealed and disappeared in the sunset sky.

"She's always on the move," Flame sighed and smiled at me. "I'll see you later, okay?" He ran after Flicker.

But within a few seconds, Flicker came back to me and whispered, gazing around. "You and I _are_ talking tonight." She demanded and then smiled, "BYEBYE!"

I watched them go and flattened my ears. Flicker really wanted to talk to me about this human thing… I didn't want to turn her away but I don't like discussing human things with a pokémon. Sighing, I turned to Kirlia. I then deposited some money and made my way down the path that lead to the main path of town. Following the path, I made my way back to the guild but came to a halt when I noticed the beach and ocean path. Why go back to the guild when I can watch the beautiful sunset from the beach? I hurriedly made my way down the beach path. I looked at the trees surrounding me, seeing several Pokémon resting in them as they got readied to go to sleep. I smiled to myself and reached the beach. When my paws hit the snow on the beach, I felt kind of relaxed. The snow was cold, but only half the beach was covered in it. When I touched the warm snow, I smiled and nestled down in the warm sand. I began to watch the sunset. The sunset made me feel very warm on the inside and it made me smile. A small yawn came from me and I stretched my paws out. It felt nice to just sit down and relax for a little bit.

"I have been looking for you!" A voice whispered.

I turned my head to see Gallade strolling down the path.


	11. Chapter Ten - Promises

**Chapter Ten**

 **Promises**

I stared at the green and white Pokémon limping down the path. He looked injured but he didn't show. I assumed he didn't want his pride getting hurt. I could see several scratches throughout his body. He was all over the path, slowly slipping on the ice and was swaying side to side. (Sort of like a drunk person walking. XD) I jumped up and readied myself to tackle him or use another move. A low growl sounded as he approached the actual sand and snow on the beach. When he reached the bottom of the path, he fell down on one of his knees and held his chest tightly. He was terribly injured it looked like. Gallade was holding himself up as best he could with his one hand.

"Please, you have to listen." He begged, staring up at me with pleading eyes.

I stepped back from him. I was scared to see how injured he was but I was also still upset with him and the way he attacked poor Darkrai. "Why should I? You're just a greedy little crook!"

Gallade shook his head and attempted to stand up once more. "You don't understand, Marcy."

I blinked and relaxed some. How did he know my name? No matter, he was still a crook! I shook myself and got back down in a tackling position, ready to go if I needed. "You're a bad guy and you shouldn't be here!" I snapped.

"Marcy—"

I cut him off and growled, "No! I'm not going to listen!" I shook my head and looked away from Gallade, flattening my ears.

"Will you just shut up and listen to me?!" He snapped and stood up, grunting in pain as he did so.

I jumped at his sudden change of mood and I took another step back. "What do you want?" I whispered to him.

"Marcy," Gallade said and stared deeply into my eyes. "You've got everything wrong. I promise. I wouldn't lie to you. I swear. Darkrai… He-he's after…" Instantly, he closed his eyes and fell flat onto the snow, face-first.

I gasped and stared in fear. He had just fainted right in front of me. I ran forward and began to pace back in forth in front of him. I had even nudged his blade-like arm to get up. That's when everything around me went black. I had been sucked into a weird blackout and was now standing in the middle of the shadows. What was happening? I was lightheaded and dizzy… I couldn't see anything! The only thing I could feel was a freezing cold breeze ruffling my fur. The black began to fade and I was now in the middle of a snow-covered forest. There was a strong blizzard and I couldn't move. It was as if my feet had been stuck to the ground. I struggled to move and call out for help but there was no answer. I then heard two familiar voices.

"… Cannot Save … Pathetic ... Everyone …. Hate …. No one will know … ... Will not remember… … Her Fault … Disappear …"

"I will protect her, I promise!" Another voice hissed.

I couldn't make out anything they were saying! I heard a few words but everything else was muffled. That other voice was Gallade's. I was sure of it! But that first voice. Whose was it? I didn't understand this! I stared at the trees surrounding me, engulfing me into the shadows. I tried to see once more but there was nothing anymore. I was in a room of nothing. Just darkness and weird shadows. This was so weird. I didn't like it. It happened as soon as I tried to nudge up Gallade.

"Marcy? Marcy! HEY! MARCY?! Can you hear me? Bubble Beam!" A voice sounded on the outside world.

A cold blast of water brought me back to reality. I jumped up, startled and stared around. I then lost my balance and fell on my bottom. I was now face-to-face with a blue and orange Pokémon. He had bright orange eyes and was staring at me with a worried look. Behind him were several Pokémon in the water, staring at me with that same worried look. They began to whisper to themselves.

"Marcy, are you okay?" The blue, black and orange Pokémon asked me.

I blinked and looked down at the passed out Gallade beside me. "I'm fine, thank you." I stood up and shook the water off of me. "Please. You have to help him. He's severely injured and needs medical help!"

He sighed in relief and nodded. "Good thing you're okay. I would hate to report to Cinccino about the injured Eevee," He turned to face the water Pokémon. "Lanturn, take the group back to circle Lugia's Domain. If everything is good there, go do another round in the ocean to see if any other Pokémon need help. Remember, do not leave the boundaries."

Lanturn looked at the group of Pokémon and nodded at them before her gaze returned to Swampert. "YES SIR!" She stated and flipped around. She then disappeared under the currents, followed by the others.

"Marcy, please help me. We need to get this Pokémon to Blissey and Audino right away!" The Pokémon spoke as he lifted up Gallade, best he could, to throw him on his back and carry him.

I helped him. I didn't do too much because he was so much bigger, but I tried. In a flash, we made our way to the guild. So much for my relaxation time.

I followed the large pokémon, a question popping in my head. What was that black out about? It all happened so quick, like in a blink of an eye. I was on the beach trying to talk to Gallade and then when he fell forward, I nudged him and everything faded to a forest. It was like I had been teleported…

We rushed back to the guild with me tripping numerous times in the snow. We climbed down the stairs and immediately opened the doors to the healing room. Inside the small, round room we found Blissey alone, polishing her egg that sat in her pouch.

"Oh my!" She gasped as her gaze rested on us. She looked at the Pokémon that the other Pokémon was carrying. "Please, bring that poor Gallade over here!" She motioned to the nest she was nearest.

The blue, orange, and black Pokémon did as he was told and he gently set Gallade down. He then backed away and nodded his head in respect to the Blissey.

I watched from the little hallway that leads to this room.

"Now. Please, please leave!" Blissey told us and shooed us away.

I began to make my way out of the hallway with one last glance back at the Gallade who was still passed out. I actually felt sorry for him! Even after he attacked Darkrai. He looked so helpless when he collapsed on the beach. He looked… Innocent. I tried my best to clear my mind as I made my way into the main hallway of the guild. I then sat down next to the board that had all the missions and the hallway.

"Don't worry about Gallade," The huge Pokémon told me.

"Me? Worried? About some random Pokémon?!" I laughed and shook my head. "No! Not at all!" Of course I was worried! He was completely helpless and injured. "Tch," I muttered to myself as the memory of him attacking Darkrai earlier. Darkrai hadn't done anything wrong. He was just trying to get away from Gallade.

He laughed softly and shook his head. "My name is Swampert. I am the leader of Team Aqua. All those Pokémon you saw in the ocean before we got Gallade here? They are my team. I am the only Pokémon part of Team Aqua that can walk on land and last. Of course, Corsola can come on land but not for too long." He smiled at me and looked out the window that showed parts of the ocean.

"Nice to meet you Swampert. As you already know, I am Marcy and I am part of Team Comet!" I replied to him.

"I must go now. I have to make sure everything is under control with my team. Sometimes, they get out of hand or get lost," He face palmed and let out a long-drawn sigh. "Oh well. Goodbye Marcy!" He waved bye to me before making his way swiftly up the stairs of the guild.

I was about to say thank you but it was too late. He was gone. So instead, I was left sitting there by myself. My mind began to race with different questions. However, I tried to distract myself to think about how it was pretty amazing how the guild had an all water-type group. They looked all so well trained too! I remember seeing a Corsola, Horsea, Huntail and another Pokémon. I assumed it was Lantern.

"Marcy? Are you okay? You look troubled," A soft voice spoke to me.

I looked up from the ground to see Milotic and her two team members, a shiny Vulpix and a Dratini beside her. "Um," I shook my head and put my two front paws together. "No. I'm fine. Thank you though."

Vulpix sighed and completely changed the subject, "I'm _soooo_ hungry. Is dinner, like, ready yet?" She huffed. "How am I supposed to, like, keep my fur _soooo_ beautiful if I don't, like, have my nutrition's? This is so uncool!" She huffed and pawed at the ground.

I flattened my ears and gave a ^_^; look as Vulpix spoke that way. "I'm kind of hungry too," I murmured and looked toward the dining hall. "I wonder what is taking so long to get dinner ready."

"I knowwwww, righttttt?" Vulpix gasped and then turned to face the hall. "I'm so hungry, I could eat almost anything!" She was so overdramatic. "Anything that keeps my fur so precious!" She giggled as she gently began to lick her 'precious' golden colored fur.

Milotic rolled her eyes and smiled some. She then bopped Vulpix on the head with her long, rainbow-scaled tail. "Hush now. Dinner will be ready when Medicham gets it ready!"

"DINNER!" Medicham called as if on cue with our conversation.

I smiled and watched as Vulpix hurried her way over to the kitchen. Dratini followed her and so did Milotic. I watched the rest of the guild make their ways over to the dining hall. When no more Pokémon were rushing to the room, I wondered where Vex was. My gaze rested on the hall that leads to the apprentices' room. I scrambled to my feet and walked to our room. As I made my way down the narrow hall, I noticed that all the rooms were empty. I stopped in front of the entrance way of our room and looked into the shadows of it. It was dark in the room and it usually was never this dark! There was always moonlight filtering in from the window or the light was on. I stumbled around the room, trying to see through the dark but it was no use. I then tripped over something, rolling on the ground and crashing into the wall.

"HEY!" A voice growled and the room instantly lit up by a bright blue orb floating.

"NO! Don't do it!" I whined, flinching as the orb came closer to me.

I heard a quiet gasp and then a loud _CRASH_ from the blue orb as it was fired in the opposite direction. I flinched once more and tensed up; hoping the orb of bright blue wouldn't hurt for too long. My ears fell flat against my head as the orb just barely went over my head, barely skimming it. I whined slightly as I could feel the burn from it. Then the orb crashed into the wall, leaving a mark.

"Marcy?! W-what are you doing?!" He asked me and I could feel his presence backing away from me.

I opened one of my eyes and stared into the room of black. "J-just checking up on you, that's all! No need to get angry!" I whined to him, backing against the wall as best I could. I was slightly scared of him, he looked so angry and upset. I knew something had to be wrong. I mean, other than me… I'm sure he was still angry about me keeping things to myself.

A sigh escaped him and I heard him sit down in his straw nest. "You scared the aura out of me! I could have severely hurt you!"

"I didn't mean to! It was dark and I was walking and I couldn't see and then I tripped!" I told him swiftly and frowned. "I was worried about you."

"Worried? About me?" He echoed quietly.

I nodded, knowing he couldn't see me. "Of course. I was wondering where you were. Medicham called everyone for dinner and you didn't show up." I explained to Vex and took a deep breath of relief. I stared at the ground, my ears still resting flatly against my head. Embarrassment clouded over me as I bothered him with my presence. Here he was, trying to sleep and I woke him up for no reason. That must be another reason he was upset with me.

"Oh. I didn't hear him," He murmured. "Let's get some food and a goodnights rest." He stood up and walked into the hallway that was slightly lit up.

"Right," I replied quietly and followed him out of the hallway and to the dining room.

Nothing happened at dinner. All the Pokémon enjoyed their meals happily. They were all chatting amongst themselves and laughing erupted from the two tables every now and then. Everyone seemed so happy and not one Pokémon looked worried about anything! Except for me. I was sitting in my original spot beside Vex and eating my meal quietly. I was still confused about everything that has been happening. The blackout from earlier, Gallade, Articuno, that Pokémon telling stories at the square and then Team Pitch.

 _TEAM PITCH!_ I completely forgot about them! I gazed around the dinner tables and didn't see any of the team. Where could they be? I remember running into them earlier when Vex and I were coming back from Moonlight Town. I wonder where they were. Could they be stealing anything right now? Or were they minding their own business for once? I hope they weren't stealing anything! That would be terrible! No one at the guild knew of their treacherous acts but Vex and I. Actually, I don't even know if Vex believed me or not about Banette or even Team Pitch going around and stealing things. Since there were no traces of those three anywhere at all, I had thoughts they were thieves. They had to be thieves. When I first met them, the very first day I showed up in Silvermist Town, they tried to steal something from Vex. What was it they tried to steal? All I remember was a black stone with a very strange pattern to it. It was Vex's treasure and he didn't want to give it up. It must mean a lot to him if he's so protective of it. Then again, he doesn't often talk about it. Nor has he shown it to me or said anything about it. Honestly, I kind of forgot about it. But it had to have some kind of meaning. I began to grow curious of what that stone thing really did. Perhaps it could help me with my questions to as of how I became a Pokémon.

We finished dinner and we sat in the dining room for a little bit, watching all the other Pokémon leaving with full bellies. "Vex?" I murmured to him.

"Hrm?" He asked, looking into the shiny plate to see his teeth.

I gave him an odd look before nodding slowly. "Do you remember the first day we met?" I asked him.

He stared into the plate before gently setting it down. He then turned his attention to me and nodded. "Of course I do," He replied.

"That first day we ran into Dusk and Coal… They wanted something from you. I got to thinking about it and I was wondering what it was?" I asked out of the blue, "May I see it?" I was his partner after all. I had a right to know, right?

The Riolu tilted his head some and thought about it. "Of course. Come on!" He jumped off the bench and disappeared out of the hall.

I followed him and he led me back to our room. The room was lit up now by a few candles. The fire Pokémon must have come by and lit the candles. Thank Arceus too! I sat down in my straw bedding as Vex began to dig through his own straw bedding.

"There you are!" He happily cheered and pulled this strange stone out. It was perfectly round with these glowing markings on it. They were actually glowing too. The markings were shining a ghostly-white color with black tips at the end of the markings. His eyes grew wide and he whispered, "Whoa! It's glowing! Look!" He held the stone out toward me.

I lifted my paw and rubbed it over the glowing marks. Then another Black-out happened. Just like from earlier when I had caught Gallade when he fell. I was quickly swallowed into darkness and voices sounded immediately!

"I know where he hides it," Houndoom's voice sneered with laughter.

"Then why don't you get it?!" Pawniard's voice hissed.

"BECAUSE. They're always holding on to it!" Houndoom growled.

"SNEAK IT!" Houndoom snapped.

"SHUT UP!" Maggie's voice sounded.

They all fell into silence and I could actually see an outline of a Pokémon! I tried to get a better look at the Pokémon who was standing in front of a cave. Everything was coming together now. I could see where they were and what they were doing. There were three Pokémon and another one. However, I couldn't see that last one.

"Now then, isn't that better? I have an idea to get that 'treasure.'" The fourth voice chuckled.

That's when everyone's voice began to get muffled and I couldn't make anything out anymore. The scenery was becoming fuzzy and the Pokémon were disappearing into the darkness. I tried to close my eyes tighter to keep the blackout lasting longer but it didn't work.

"MARCY?!" Vex's voice pulled me back into reality.

I jumped and my eyes shot open. I then let out a little yelp as I saw Vex a few inches away from me. I shrunk back and looked at him. "Uhh…" I murmured and looked away. My ears once again fell against my head and I gazed at Vex. I frowned and stared at the ground.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

I nodded and began to paw at the straw bedding sitting in front of me. "Yes… This happened to me earlier," I explained to Vex. "I uh… had grabbed a berry and something weird happen. I was torn away from the uh.. forest I was walking through and it teleported me to.. like, the mountains or something." I gulped and shook my head.

"What?" Vex muttered, sitting cross-legged now and reaching out to me. He gently rested both of his palms on my shoulders and looked at me in my eyes. "What do you mean this happened earlier?" He demanded.

I flinched at his touch and tried so hard to avoid his gaze but I couldn't help it. I frowned and looked up at Vex, my eyes full of fear. "I had a blackout," I told him straight forward.

"Blackout?" Vex echoed and blinked. "And you said you were teleported? So what happened? Did you see anything or hear anything?" He asked, interest building in his voice.

"I saw Team Pitch talking about a Pokémon's 'treasure.' In fact, they called it a treasure. They were talking about stealing it," I explained to him. "I saw Maggie, Coal, and Dusk all in front of a cave. I saw another Pokémon but I couldn't make him out. It was definitely a big Pokémon though."

"Treasure?" Vex frowned and shook his head. He pulled his glowing stone against his chest tightly and gasped, "Nonono! They're talking about this, Marcy!" He basically threw the stone into my face. "Wait, how do I know you're telling me the truth?" He demanded, gazing at me. "I mean, you didn't say anything earlier about anything."

I felt my eyes get a little watery. He was still hung up on that. "Vex, I wouldn't lie to you," I told him and stared at the floor. "I promise I'm telling the truth. I saw and heard Team Pitch." My voice was getting a bit shaky.

A sigh escaped him and he leaned back against the wall, the stone now lighting up his face as he stared in my direction. I could feel his gaze burning into my fur. "So, you're telling me you just touched this stone and saw Team Pitch and heard voices?"

I nodded slowly, tears getting heavier.

"Hrm…" Vex thought to himself.

"THAT IS SO COOL!" A voice squealed. "WOW, Marcy you can do that?!"

Vex and I leapt up and nearly out of our skins. We even almost bumped into one another.

"What is that?!" Vex snapped, gazing around.

"Me, silly. Marcy was supposed to speak to me tonight!" A familiar voice giggled and appeared in front of Vex and I.

"Oh Flicker," I took a deep breath and shook away my tears, forcing a smile at her. "Hello!"

"Hi! So, Vex knows you're human too, right?" Flicker gasped, floating down to us and floating between us now. The young Litwick looked so happy as she just neatly floated there.

"Erm, yes… I was the one who found her afterall," Muttered Vex, gazing up at her.

"I don't believe that," A low voice growled. Into the room now came Flame.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO FOLLOW ME!" Flicker growled, her blue flame growing brighter in anger that her partner disobeyed her.

"I wouldn't let you run off on your own, especially to bother them," The growlithe muttered, motioning towards Vex and I.

Oh this was just lovely! Now not only did Cinccino and Ampharos know that I am not a pokémon under this skin, but now Flicker and Flare. And Flicker didn't seem like one who could keep her mouth shut. I was _sure_ she told other pokémon or even has been stalking me to figure out more information. I gazed at Vex who _instantly_ tensed up when Flare came into the room and even took a little step forward.

"You don't have to believe anything," Vex told him lowly. "Neither of you are supposed to know anyway," He muttered.

I flattened my ears and gazed at Vex. Why was he being so cold toward Flare? Did he not like Flare or something? I don't understand. He never told me anything. Vex didn't seem like the one to dislike other pokémon. He was always so cheerful and bouncy towards others, loving to meet other pokémon. But when it came to Flare, it looked like he wanted to cast him out forever. I was so confused. Vex has _never_ been that cold toward another pokémon. I know he was still agitated but I've never seen Vex mean.

Flare completely ignored him and gazed to me, the pokémon's amber eyes growing soft. (Yes, I said he could have amber eyes.) Flare sat down beside Flicker who was floating now on the opposite side of us. His tail wrapped around his front paws and he tilted his head some, examining me.

The pokémon then shook his head and stood back up and stepped toward me. As he neared me, I could hear a noise from the dog pokémon. He was… Sniffing me? I flattened my ears and froze, completely tensed. I did not like this. "Erm?" I murmured, gazing down at the dog sniffing at me.

"You smell of a pokémon," Flare told me as he took a few steps away from me. "You look like an eevee except for the brown patch on your eye. Every pokémon has a marking though, so that's normal. You were washed up on the beach, which isn't normal and you have black outs… You didn't have any nightmares when you went to Spirit Tower and you had no idea this town even existed, nor the guild," Flare summed up everything.

Vex glared coldly at the pokémon and crossed his arms, giving him the rudest attitude ever, "And what does any of that mean?"

Flare shrugged. "Things happen. Remember the storm the night before she joined the guild?" He asked him.

"Yes, so?"

"So, that may have knocked her memory out when she was trying to get out of it. Perhaps she _thinks_ she's human."

"But Flare!" Flicker whined, "She's human. I know she is. Even Cinccino and Ampharos think that!" The ghost pokémon looked so sad as she argued with her partner.

"That means nothing!" Flare snapped.

She jumped back and hid behind Vex, "But Flare… It's totally possible. Did you not hear what Bisharp said the other day?"

"Bisharp isn't as _sharp_ as you think he is," Flare told her, gazing up at her. He then took a deep breath and returned his gaze to me. His body relaxed a little and he took another step towards me, "Whatever happened to your memory, Marcy, it'll be okay." A small smile showed and he dipped his head in respect. "Forgive me for being rude to you. I just don't know if it's possible for a human to turn into a pokémon."

Vex took another step in front of me as Flare stepped towards me. "With all due respect, Flare, things happen. I believe Marcy was originally a human. She knows little," He paused and gazed at me, and spoke to me, "Sorry Marcy," then returned back to Flare, "To nothing about the pokémon world."

"Vex… Believe what you want," Pausing, the fire type took a deep breath and gazed softly at me with a smile. "I hope we can help you figure out what happen. Please, let us know if we can do anything," He spoke with a huge grin. "Also Vex? Don't get in my face again," He growled before turning hard and leaving the room. "Now, Flicker…" He demanded. "I hope we can be of service to you, Marcy."

"Bye…" Flicker murmured and followed her partner.

Vex watched him leave, anger burning in his stare.

I frowned at Vex and nudged him a little with my nose. "Hey," I murmured softly. "Vex?"

He took a deep breath and clenched both of his fists. "I cannot stand him!" Vex huffed and shook his head. The fighting pokémon then crossed his arms and began to pace back and forth, muttering words under his breath. He then paused and turned to me. "I'm sorry, are you okay Marcy?" He asked.

I replaced my frown with a smile as he turned to me. "I'm fine!" I replied and nudged his elbow. "Come on, forget about that."

He relaxed a little and sat back down in the straw nest, sighing heavily. The pokémon then dug from the nest his stone and gazed at it. The stone was so gorgeous. It was black with a slight glow to it.

"Hey Vex?" I murmured, tilting my head and looking at the stone. "Where did you find that anyway?"

"I actually remember having it for the longest time," He replied, holding it up some towards the window. "I don't remember where I got it or how… I just remember always having it with me."

"Oh… Hrm… What do you think Pitch and Coal want with it?" I asked, bringing up the original conversation.

"I'm not sure," He replied and shrugged. "But they aren't going to have it!" He said quietly and clutching the stone harder. "No one will have this but me. I will be devastated if something were to happen to it…"

I flattened my ears and lowered myself to the ground. "Everything will be okay! I promise!" I told him, my voice full of positivity. "We'll keep it safe!"

He took a deep breath and stopped, facing one side of the walls. "Okay. I trust you," He murmured. "If anything happens to my treasure… I don't know what I'll do. I want to figure out what it's for and how to use it. I want to be the one who figures it out!"

I understood what he meant when he said that. I also want to be the one to figure out my mystery of how I was turned into a Pokémon. I wanted to figure that out on my own. I hate wasting other Pokémon's time with something so little. I frowned and nodded in agreement to Vex. "I know what you mean," I whispered and stepped onto my nest. I circled it a few times and then plopped down.

Vex held his stone close to his body and looked from the stone to me. He then sat down in his nest and buried the stone once more, hoping it would stop glowing eventually. "I guess we should get some more rest," He murmured. "Tomorrow, we can do a mission or two and if we have time we can visit the Towns Elder to see if he remembers anything."

I totally forgot about the Town's Elder. He did tell us to come back another day to find out if he found any more information about the human-to-Pokémon thing. I let out a soft sigh and curled tightly into a ball. What was the point though? I would never be a human again. I was stuck as a Pokémon – I was sure of it! "It doesn't matter," I whispered through my furry tail. (Yes. Her tail is near her muzzle!)

"Hey!" He said quietly and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, "We'll figure it out sooner or later! Both of our mysteries, okay? I promise." He placed a hand in front of me and smiled. "We're a team, Marcy. If we're not, we wouldn't be known as Team Comet!"

I smiled some and reached out one of my paws to rest on his hand. "You're right. We are a team!" I cheered and we broke. (Like, TEAM POKÉMON ON THREE, ONE,TWO,THREE! TEAM POKÉMON! When they stack their hands? Yeah. Something like that. XD)

"Hey Vex," I spoke up after a few minutes of silence.

"Hrm?" He asked, gazing sleepily in my direction.

"Thank you," I said softly as my cheeks got warm. "I really appreciate everything you've done for me. And I'm sorry about not mentioning things to you sooner. I promise I will let you know everything from here on out!" I said. My memory then faded back to Gallade. I hope he was doing okay… I know he was the bad guy, but there was something about him that didn't seem so bad. I frowned and buried my face into my tail. I was embarrassed by far and I needed to tell Vex about Gallade. In the morning, I'll do that. He's had enough trouble today.

He smiled softly at me from his nest and put a thumbs up. "Sounds like a deal," He cheered softly and then yawned. "Let's get some rest. Goodnight Marcy."

"Goodnight, Vex," I replied.

We woke up early that morning –before Beartic even had a chance to wake us up! We grabbed a mission or two off the bulletin board and were on our way to complete our missions. We were headed to an area known as Luminous Forest. It was a beautiful, but huge, forest that consisted on many open fields. We were there on a mission to rescue a Pokémon who got lost in the forest.

"According to this paper, it says they were playing in the deepest part of the forest…" Vex murmured as he read over the paper again.

I was hopping through the snow, trying my best not to get too cold. "Hrm… Hopefully they're easy to spot. I hate this snow!" I huffed.

Vex laughed and rolled his eyes before folding the rescue mission paper up and putting it into the bag he was carrying. "One day you'll be tall!" He teased me and ran on ahead. "LOOK AT MEEEEE! I CAN RUN FREELY THROUGH THE SNOW! WEEE!" He cheered.

I smiled some. It was nice to see him in a better mood than yesterday. It made me feel good as well. I let out a hearty laugh and trailed after him best I could in the snow. I came to a halt when I saw something appear not too far ahead of Vex. "VEX STOP!" I hissed through the snow and crouched down as best I could to hide.

Vex looked back in my direction and kept running. He shrugged and ran smack-dab into a Pokémon. He fell back and put a hand on his head, groaning some. "Oww!" He whined and sat down in the snow.

"You need to be more careful," A gentle voice told him. "You don't want to get lost in Luminous Forest, do you?"

Vex looked up to see a large Pokémon with cream-colored fur on his chest. Near his hooves were large white tufts of fur. His horns were larger than the average Sawsbuck and were white as snow. "You're a winter Sawsbuck, aren't you?!" He exclaimed with a gasp.

He nodded and looked around at the Pokémon that sat in the field. "I am. Please be more careful in this area. You are lucky you only ran into me and the Deerling," He told him gently. "Any other Sawsbuck might have challenged you." He let out a half-hearted chuckle and looked at the scared Deerling around him.

Vex followed his gaze and looked at the other Deerling and the other few Winter Sawsbuck that were grazing the field. "Wow. This is so cool!" He cheered.

I hopped ahead, still cautious of the Pokémon around me.

"Is this your friend?" Sawsbuck asked.

Vex nodded. "Yes! My name is Vex and this is Marcy. We're actually part of Cinccino's guild." He explained, moving his hands around to shape Cinccino.

I smiled shyly and shook the snow off my fur. "It's nice to meet you," I murmur. I wasn't exactly the greatest at meeting new Pokémon.

"As it is you," He smiled.

"Daddy! Daddy!" A Pokémon squealed. A young gray and yellow Deerling bounded up beside the huge Sawsbuck. His eyes were shining with happiness. "There's other Pokémon here? Please let me battle one of them! Please? Just this once?" He begged.

Sawsbuck looked at the young Pokémon and tilted his head some. "I'm not sure if that's the right thing to do," He murmured.

"Oh please! I know I can take the Eevee at least! If I was to go against the Riolu, who knows where that would end! Fighting versus Normal… He has the advantage," The Deerling looked to the ground and began to stomp at the snow.

I flattened my ears. -_-' He was calling me weak! He did have a point though. Fighting had an advantage over a normal type Pokémon. It would be nice to practice a little battling anyway. I haven't had much one-on-one battling training.

"Hrm…" Sawsbuck thought about it and sighed, "Fine. Just be careful." He told his son and backed away from the two. "That is, if Marcy accepts the battle?" His gaze fell on me.

I nodded. "That's fine. I need some training experience anyway!" I replied. I was a little unsure about it though.

"YES! I'll show you, Victoria, that I am a powerful Deerling!" The Deerling whispered to himself.

 _Victoria?_ Who was that? It must be another Deerling in the group. Perhaps one that teases him a lot? I shrugged the thought away and backed up in the snow. I began to think of what I could do and what kind of attacks I had. "All right. Let's get started!" I called across the field of snow.

The surrounding Deerling and few Sawsbuck stood off on the side and began to watch the two of us battle.

Deerling began to charge at me.

I used the snow to my advantage and slid off to the side, dodging his attack. I lost my balance some and began to slip and slide in places I didn't want to. Finally, something hard hit me in my side.

Deerling had used tackle when I was distracted by regaining my mobility. I slid in the snow on my side before standing up and shaking it off. I glared at the rather powerful Deerling who began to run at me. He leaped up into the air at an impressive height and came crashing down toward me. I quickly rolled out of the way and he landed with a loud huff of pain.

"Stupid Jump Kick!" He muttered to himself.

I stood up and opened my mouth; stars began to fly in the direction of Deerling. Swift had hit him quite hard and I grinned. "Yes!" I cheered and charged at the Pokémon. I quickly hit the Pokémon with my quick attack move.

"Argh!" He called as he was hit. He then slid in the snow and began to breathe heavily.

I, myself, was breathing heavily. This time, when I charged at him, he jumped out of the way and dodged.

I blinked, not knowing where exactly he went. I looked around the snow but saw nothing. All of a sudden, something hit me hard on the top of my back and I crashed down into the snow.

"YES! DID YOU SEE THAT?! Energy ball worked!" Deerling cheered as he landed a few feet away from me.

I tried my best to stand back up but I felt too weak to move. I even fell back down into the snow a few times. Finally, after the third time of trying to stand back up, I did. My gaze fell on the gloating Deerling who was prancing around in the snow. I shook the flakes of snow that landed on me and focused on the Deerling. I began to swiftly run at him (quick attack) and right before he turned around, I jumped into the air. The next thing I knew, I landed on him and bit hard. (BITE!)

He yelped and began to buck and kick, trying to shake me loose. He ran in a circle and did a hard turn, causing me to lose my grip. I was flung back into the ground.

"That's enough!" Sawsbuck yelled loudly. "That was an impressive battle. Both of you! You both tried your best and did outstanding. Deerling, you will be a strong leader one day," He praised us.

I was laying on my back in the snow, enjoying the cold on my back and my legs. The snow was good for a few things!

Vex ran over to me and reached into his bag. "Marcy! You did great!" He complimented me and handed me an Oran berry. "But we need to get going! That Pokémon is still lost!"

I bit into the Oran Berry and felt better quickly. I smiled and finished the berry off, recovering my strength.

Deerling ran over to me and smiled. "That was the best battle I have ever had! You did great!" He cheered happily.

I let out a soft laugh and sat up straight in the snow. "It was a nice battle," I replied with a smile. "Though, now I'm sore!" I complained.

Sawsbuck approached us. "Did you say a Pokémon is lost?" He asked us.

Vex looked up at him and nodded. "Yes. A Plusle went missing." He explained to Sawsbuck.

"Plusle? Not too long ago a Plusle ran through here. We didn't know what he was doing, but he seemed very excited. I tried to stop him but it was no luck," He sighed and lowered his head and stared at the snow.

Vex listened to him and nodded, "Thanks for the help Sawsbuck! We must go find him now, come on Marcy!"

I frowned. On the move so soon?! I was enjoying the snow on my achy bones. I let out a dramatic sigh and stood up. "Off we gooooo, bye everyone! It was nice to meet you all!" I hopped after Vex who got a head start.

"COME BACK SOON!" The young male Deerling called.

We ran through the snow covered forest. I was very relieved to see that some parts of Luminous Forest weren't completely stacked with snow. It was nice to be able to just run straight through the snow sometimes without having to hop. I ran beside Vex who had his arms flailing out behind him. He came to a slow and began to look around. I slowed down beside him and sniffed the air. I caught a scent of a Pokémon but I wasn't sure what Pokémon it was. I tried to follow the scent. "I smell something," I whispered to Vex as I walked away from him.

Vex followed me and looked around the forest. "PLUSLE! WHERE ARE YOU?! PLUSLE, COME OUT, COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE!" He cupped his hands around his muzzle and yelled.

I continued to follow the scent, Vex following behind me. I was trying my best to keep up with the scent but it disappeared. I came to a stop when the scent was completely gone. I raised my head and looked at the fog that sat in front of us. "Whoa." I whispered. "Major weather change?"

Vex frowned and looked at me. "I don't like this. Let's be careful, okay? Stay close!" He walked ahead slowly.

I didn't like the fog one bit. In fact, it kind of worried me what kind of Pokémon might be lurking here. Dark Pokémon, mean Pokémon, scary Pokémon. It was possible for any kind of Pokémon to be there! What if they attacked us for no reason?! What if Vex and I got separate?! Anything could happen!

"Hello? Is anyone there? Please! Help me!" A voice called through the fog.

My ears perked up and I stared blindly through the mist. I ran in the direction of the voice. "Plusle?!" I called out. Vex followed after me, keeping close to me.

"PLEASE! HELP ME!" It called again.

I ran toward it only to come to nothing. I looked around and tried to see through the fog but saw nothing. It was just too foggy! "Vex. We need to find Plusle!" I stated.

"I know! I know!" He sighed and called out loudly, "PLUSLE! CAN YOU HEAR US?!"

"HELP!" It called once more.

We finally found the direction the voice was coming from. We darted toward it and came to a very quick stop at a lake. My gaze scanned the lake and I saw a figure in the middle of the lake. It was on a huge boulder that was propped out of the lake. "There!" I gasped to Vex.

Vex looked in the direction of the huge boulder. He then took a few steps back and jumped into the water. He began to swim across the lake to get to the middle of it.

I jumped in after him, getting drenched by the freezing cold water. By the time I had reached the boulder, Vex was already climbing it. I attempted to climb it but felt frostbitten by the water. I couldn't deal with water like this! Not during the winter! I climbed weakly onto the rock and then sat down. I began to shiver.

"Marcy. We found him! We found Plusle! Let's get him home!" Vex spoke.

I stared up at him and noticed the small red and yellow Pokémon who was holding onto Vex tightly. "That's wonderful," I coughed to him and stood up as best I could.

Vex frowned and asked, "Are you okay?"

I just nodded and dove back into the freezing cold water. NO I WASN'T OKAY. What kind of question was that?! I swam across the water and pulled myself onto shore. I lay there for a few minutes, the cold finally digging through my fur and skin and reaching my bones. I needed a way to warm up and this snow wasn't going to help.

"Stand up Marcy! You're not going to help anyone if you just lay there!" He told me and tried to push me up onto my paws.

I finally got up on my paws and began to make my way after the Riolu. He was running through the snow like nothing was wrong. How could he do it? The water was ice-cold and so was the ground! However, I tried my best to keep up with him. But I was too cold. I was shivering badly and I didn't know what was going to happen. My legs began to feel weak and my body felt like it was shutting down. I then collapsed into the snow and everything around me began to swirl. I could hardly hear the voice that was speaking to me.

"Marcy?! Marcy! Get up! Please!"

 _Then Everything Went Blank._


	12. Chapter Eleven - Blizzards

**Chapter Eleven**

 **Blizzards**

Back in Cinccino's Guild, Gallade began to stir within the healer's room. His eyes began to open slowly and he was staring at the roof. All of a sudden, he sat up straight. As he did so, a sharp pain shot through him and he held his stomach. He looked down to realize he was bandaged around his stomach. His arms were also bandaged in different areas. "What… Happened?" He asked himself and then suddenly felt another sharp pain go through his head. Placing a hand on his forehead, he looked around the empty room. A frown appeared on his face when he finally recognized the area.

"You're awake!" A voice chirped.

"Marcy?!" He replied. Gallade turned his head slowly to see a large pink and white Pokémon sorting through some berries. Not seeing Marcy, he felt disappointed. He needed to find Marcy. What if she was in danger? "Erm… Yes, I am awake. Thank you." He stood up and looked around the room.

"Be careful now! If you are going out, please don't hurt yourself or strain yourself or get lost, or anything! BE SAFE!" The Blissey huffed, not even looking at him.

Gallade just looked at her, a little confused. She was just going to let him go?

"Though, I'd prefer you stay within the guild for a day or so. Those wounds you had been really, really bad. Please… Take it easy. Try not to get into another fight today, Gallade!" Blissey sighed and rolled her eyes. She couldn't help but let out a soft giggle. "Were you looking for Marcy?" She asked.

Gallade stayed quiet and stared at the ground. He didn't even want to be in the guild. He wanted to remain undetected. He was more of the Pokémon who liked to hide from the world and learn about everyone from a distance. However, now that he was in the guild, wouldn't the members get curious about his random presence? How did he even get to the guild? All he could remember was passing out. He doesn't remember anything that happened afterward. A soft sigh escaped the green and white Pokémon and he simply nodded to the Blissey.

A huge smile sat on her face as she pushed a berry to the side. "They went on a mission early this morning. Marcy actually came in to check on you! Wasn't that nice of her? She told me that Vex and she were going to some field. Something like Star Fields or Bright Fields or so. OH!" She instantly looked up and looked at Gallade. "Luminous Forest! That's it! Or they went somewhere else…" She put her fingers up to her mouth and looked up at the roof. Shrugging, she dropped her arms and went back to sorting her herbs.

He slowly nodded at the strange Blissey. He then turned away from her and murmured, "Thanks." Gallade then left the Healers' Room and went into the main room of the guild. However, before he entered he looked around the room to see who all was in the room. There weren't many Pokémon there. The ones who were in the room surely didn't pay any attention to him though. Quickly, Gallade slipped out of the room and up the stairs of the guild and out into the snow-covered forest.

"Marcy!" Vex yelled. The Riolu sat on his knees and tried to shake Marcy. He couldn't get her to wake up though. The smaller Pokémon was breathing slowly and was shivering at the same time. Her body seemed to get colder by the minute. Vex continuously tried to wake her up but had no luck. "Please Marcy, you need to get up!" He whispered again.

"Plusle," The small electric Pokémon whispered. He was scared and didn't know what to think of this entire situation. What was wrong with the Eevee? Was she just sleeping or was something actually wrong with her?

Vex shook his head. Tears began to form. What was he going to do?! He couldn't just leave her sitting there in the cold! Something worst may happen if he didn't act soon. The Riolu sat up straight and looked around. "HELP! Anyone?! Please! I need help!" He called out to the dense foggy forest surrounding him.

There was no answer. Just silence surrounding him. Snow began to fall slowly. Vex couldn't believe it. Marcy would be frozen before he could find any help. He should have not let her gone into the water. However, how could the water and cold only affect his poor friend? She even had fur! Maybe it was because of the practice battle she had with the Deerling not to long ago. Perhaps she was still weak from that and her wounds weren't completely healed. Or maybe she just wasn't used to the cold like Vex was. Who knew?

A huff escaped the pokémon and he just shook his head. "Plusle, can you help me?" He asked the small electric type pokémon who gazed up at him.

"Huh?" He murmured in a high, squeaky voice.

"Can you help me? We need to get her to safety," Vex explained to the small pokémon.

Plusle nodded. "My friend and I come to our secret base out here, I can take you there," He whispered very quietly. He gazed around the area and then pointed ahead of him. "You carry her there. Follow!" He began to slowly walk through the snow, trying his best to stay warm.

Vex looked at his passed out friend on the ground and then huffed. Hopefully she wasn't heavy but he couldn't keep Marcy out here. Not in this condition. She was wet and now covered in snow. The snowstorm surrounding his area was also beginning to pick up. Surely, there was a blizzard on its way. Grunting, the fighting pokémon picked up Marcy and carried her on his back best he could. "Jeeze, you sure are heavy," He muttered quietly. Luckily, being a fighting pokémon it wasn't too hard. He was naturally strong physically. The riolu was definitely not a weakling. He began to trudge after Plusle who was taking him past the lake. He had to pick up the pace to keep up with the pokémon who was running quite fast for how little and young he was. Finally catching up, Vex gazed up at the sky that was darkening around him. It was definitely going to storm. Whether it's a blizzard or an actual thunderstorm, it was about to come down on them.

"There," Plusle said as he came to a slow and gazed up at a tree.

It was quite a small tree. But it would work for now. Vex made out the material that created the tree house and he saw that it was made out of wood, of course. It was solid and it looked warm. He could see one window on the front and that's all they needed to watch the storm from the inside. It will have to work. "Let's go!" Vex grunted, repositioning Marcy on his back. She slipped slightly off his back, causing the fighting pokémon's right knee to nearly give out. He grunted and continued to trudge forward. The entrance to the door of the treehouse was connected to a narrow bridge. Following Plusle, he made his way across the rickety bridge and through the door of the very tiny house.

Inside the treehouse was nice and warm. To the right of the house was a comfy looking bean-bag chair beside a table that had some books on it. To the far left of the treehouse were two small cushions that looked as though they had been sat on recently, and he assumed they were basically used as beds. Under his feet was a comfortable rug. A smile appeared on Vex's face as he gazed around the comfortable hut. It was definitely a tight fit but it was nice.

"Dad built this for my friend and I and we come here all the time. Dad warned us not to go out today but we disobeyed him and we did anyway… Anyway, I'm assuming he got home safely or found his way—"

"Plusle, you're finally here! I was so worried about you! You always told me if we got lost, we were supposed to meet up here!" A pokemon's voice whined. A small little blue and white squirrel pokémon scrambled down a log that was in the middle of the room and ran straight to Plusle, giving him a _huge_ and tight hug. "I was so worried!" The pokémon whined.

Vex blinked at Plusle. "Is this your friend?" He asked him.

"Dot?" Plusle murmured. "DOT!" The Plusle then hugged the small blue and white pokémon back, as he began to tear up. "I was so scared and worried. I don't even remember what happened except… You just disappeared!" He whined, tears forming up in his eyes.

Vex frowned and then fell on his knees as Marcy's weight pushed him down. "Umph," He muttered and then let her roll off his back and gently lay on the floor.

"Oh? Who is this?" The pachirisu asked, sniffing at Vex and Marcy. "She's sick," She murmured as she neared the Eevee. "Quick, we need blankets! STAT PLUSLE!" She ordered, pointing in the direction of a corner where a chest sat. "You!" She pointed at Vex. "I smell berries in your bag. Quick, show me what you have. NOW MISTER!" She raised her voice and glared at Vex.

"Erm," Vex frowned.

"NO BACK TALK! BERRIES, NOW!" She huffed, crossing her arms and glaring up at him.

"YES MA'AM!" Vex replied, and then quickly set his bag down that was on his back. "They might be squished a little," He murmured.

"That's fine! We will make the best of it!" Dot ran over to his bag that he set down and began to dig through it, fiddling with what was in the bag. She even disappeared into his bag. "THERE IT IS!" She said with a muffled voice as she came crawling out of his bag with a blue berry. "Oran berry. WHERE ARE THOSE BLANEKTS SOLDIER?" She called loudly at the Plusle.

"HERE THEY ARE, MA'AM!" Plusle replied, coming back to them and standing tall.

"GOOD! YOU! WEIRD RIOLU, move her over there. NOW! GET A MOVE ON!" She pointed at one of the two cushions that were in the corner. "Beds are warm. Beds will keep her warm and help her blood."

Vex blinked at the very intelligent, but bossy, Pachirisu.

"WHY ARE YOU STANDING THERE? Did I not just give you an order?!"

"MA'AM YES MA'AM!" Vex replied, and picked up Marcy again and drug her over to one of the cushions. With the last bit of muscle, he gently pushed her up on the cushion that he was ordered to put her on. He then softly leaned against the side of the cushion, gazing up at the roof. _I really hope you're okay, Marcy._

Within a few minutes, Pachirisu was snuggled up against the eevee that was slowly breathing on the cushion. "Her breathing is normal," she whispered towards Vex and smiled. "She'll be fine. Let her rest, maybe give her some more oran berries. However, we should rest up. Especially you," She pointed towards her friend. "You worry me more and I'm concerned for you," She murmured and frowned. The small electric type then wiggled away from Marcy and on to the other cushion. "Sleep well," She murmured and buried herself underneath the blankets into a tight ball.

Plusle gave out a big yawn and gazed at Vex. "I hope Marcy is okay," He whispered and climbed onto the cushion beside Dot. "I'm sure she will be. Dot is very good with medicines."

Vex gazed over his shoulder at the two electric types. "I'm going to keep an eye on her," He murmured and smiled. "Don't worry about me. We'll get you home after the blizzard is over, okay?"

Plusle nodded. "Sounds like a plan," He murmured and shortly fell asleep.

Vex turned away from the three sleeping pokémon and looked out the window. He watched the snow fall heavily, strong winds blowing up against the small hut in the trees. At least it was warm here and no one could possibly disturb them. However, he had so much on his mind. Why was it snowing in the middle of fall? It was possible that it could be an early winter but Silvermist would have been warned by Cinccino or someone else. His mind boggled back and forth between everything that has happened lately. So much weird things have happened since Marcy came to their world.

"Is it possible she really is a human?" He asked himself, turning to face his partner. He reached his hand out towards her outlined the pattern on her eye. "That's just so weird…" He gazed down at her paws and frowned. They were a light color, not like any other eevee… He then put his hand over her paw and yawned. "Everything will be okay, Marcy. I promise."

"Mpmh," A noise escaped my muzzle as I began to stir awake. Everything around me was silent except for the breathing of a pokémon or two. I jolted awake and jumped onto my feet, only to sink down into something. "What the?" I questioned myself as I gazed down at a small rounded cushion. I blinked and then looked around the room I was in. I was in a small wooden area surrounded with little posters and a couple other cushions. I gazed to my right where I heard something snore. I noticed a small blue blanket. I nosed at it only to feel an electric shock on my nose which caused me to fall off the cushion and land on something else. I was now sitting on the back of Vex who was, surprisingly still sleeping after I fell on top of him. I slowly backed off of him and flattened my ears.

"Vex?" I whispered, pawing at his side gently.

The pokémon just grunted and rolled over. I frowned and then gently put the blanket back on top of him. I then turned away from him and walked over to the frosted window. I stood up on my two paws and gazed outside at the snow. There was a blizzard going on and the snow was surely getting up high. I couldn't remember how I got here or what I was doing here with these pokémon. I remember Vex and I were on a mission to find a pokémon's friend who was lost in the forest. I gazed back over my shoulder at the three pokémon that were passed out. I'm assuming one of the other two that were sleeping beside one another was the one we rescued. But that's all I remembered.

I frowned and flattened my ears, pushing myself softly off the window. I sat there and gazed at Vex.

"Marcyy," He murmured in his sleep. "It's okay…"

I listened to the pokémon talk to himself in his sleep and giggled some. He was surely adorable and peaceful when he slept. "Psst," I whispered.

"Hrm…" Vex muttered.

"Wake up," I hissed. "Vex!" I should let him sleep… But I don't want to.

"Hrmm?" He murmured, more conscious this time.

"There ya go!" I approached the sleeping pokémon and prodded him gently in his shoulder. "Get up," I demanded quietly.

"Oh…" The pokémons eyes slowly opened and he instantly locked gazes with me. "Marcy?" He gasped, "Marcy!" The blue and black pokémon instantly leapt up and outstretched his arms.

The next I knew, I was wrapped in a tight hug by him and I couldn't breathe. I tried to push him away with my front paws but it was no use. His hug was super effective. (Hahah. Get it? Cuz he's like, fighting….? Yeah. She's like, a normal type?)

"I'm so glad you're awake!" He cheered and pulled away from me. "I was so worried about you!"

"Worried?" I echoed and grinned at him. I replied, "You were asleep."

He turned red and looked away, "Nuh uh."

I gently poked him in his chest, "Yeah uh."

"Nope! I was uh, practicing."

"Practicing what?"

"My play dead act!"

I giggled quietly and then made a 'shh,' sound, noticing the other blanket stirring. "Are those the pokémon we rescued?"

"Just Plusle. The Pachirisu was actually here when Plusle and I brought you here."

"Brought me?" I echoed and tilted my head. "What?"

"You passed out due to the cold. You were weak from the battle you had with that Deerling."

It all came back to me. That's right. We were on a mission to save a little lost pokémon, Plusle, I practiced and yeah. That's what happened. I flattened my ears. I couldn't believe that that had happened. I had passed out due to the cold frigid water yet Vex was just fine. Maybe he was a lot stronger than me and knew how to fight through the cold. I was just… I don't know why I passed out. It just happened. Was I even weak from fighting that Deerling or am I just weak in myself? I didn't know.

Vex patted my head and smiled, telling me, "Don't worry though. We saved you!"

I pulled my head away from his palm and rolled my eyes, grinning. "I guess," I replied and let out a huge yawn before glancing out the window. "How long do you think this blizzard is going too last?" I asked him.

Frowning, Vex replied softly, "I'm not sure. I don't even know how long it's been going on. Been sleeping." He rolled his shoulders and then rolled on to his back, staring at the roof. "I'm glad you're safe," He said with a chuckle. "We'll have to toughen you up for this cold!"

I pawed at his face and growled playfully, "Psh. I'll be fine."

"Perhaps. So, remember when Banette said I could mega evolve?" He asked out of the blue.

I blinked and flattened my ears at the name Banette. She still freaked me out a little. She was probably watching me now as I sit here. I sniffed the air and caught no scent of her but it still made me a little freaked out that she could even possibly be here. "Erm, yeah," I replied quietly.

"Wouldn't that be the coolest thing ever? I've never seen a mega evolved Lucario…" He then trailed off and his eyes became clouded with sadness. "Or another Lucario," He murmured.

I gazed at him and tilted my head. What did he mean he's never met another Lucario? He _did_ have parents, right? Surely one of them had to be a Lucario. Here was Vex, flesh and all as a Riolu. He had to have parents of Lucario's. I was slightly curious now. That was just beyond strange. "What do you mean?" I asked him quietly as I rested my head on my furry, soft paws.

"I mean, I've really never met another Lucario or Riolu," He replied, rolling on to his belly and propping his head up with his hands.

"But…" I murmured, wanting to ask about his parents.

"I never met my parents," He said softly and crossed his arms, laying his head on crossed arms and gazing at the wall.

I frowned and stared out the window. I couldn't believe he had never met his parents… Come to think of it, what were mine thinking back at home? I couldn't even remember anything about the human world, nevertheless, parents.

"I was found by someone," He told me softly and frowned. "So, I looked up to them as my parents. I knew they weren't my real parents, but they treated me like I was a family! I was taken in by a Delphox and Zoroark who were happy together. They trained me a little bit and stuck by my side for the longest time. I trained beside the Zorua who was always happy and bouncy… Yet, he was meaner than ever. Ugh. I hated training with him," He chuckled and gazed up at me. "But when I was old enough, both of them allowed me to run off and join the guild. I… Had wrote them a letter, or attempted to write a letter… I'm not a very good writer… But I told them I joined the guild and they wrote me back that they were happy for me. Though, I hadn't joined the guild quite yet. This was actually about a season before you came along," Vex explained to me. "Ever since then, I haven't spoken to them because I was ashamed that I had lied to them."

I listened to him and frowned. "How long had it been since you've seen them?"

"Nearly a year," He murmured ashamed.

"A year?" I repeated.

He nodded and folded his hands. "They would send me letters and I never wrote them back," He explained and sighed, laying down on his back and staring at the roof. "I wonder how they're doing."

I tilted my head and smiled some, "You know, you should probably make a journey to see them."

He just glanced at me and shook his head. "I'm not going to do that until I'm evolved," He explained to me.

I crawled an inch closer to him and rested my head on my paws. "Yeah? Why is that?" I asked.

"I'm not sure… I just feel like they would be less ashamed of me. I'm sure Zorua is a Zoroark by now."

"That just means we need to train to get you evolved," I cheered at him.

He grinned some and looked to me, replying, "It's not that easy. I can't just evolve, Marcy. That's not how Riolu's work."

"Hrm?"

"However, I'm not quite sure how it works. It has something to do with like… Happiness or something. And learning my Aura. I haven't mastered any of my aura skills," He murmured.

"Aura?"

"Yes," Vex replied. "A Riolu has the power to possess a power known as aura. We can sense others aura, feeling what kinds of emotions that other pokémon has. It's rumored that aura gives us the power to read minds and moves of other pokémon as well. I haven't… Even neared that anyway. I can't ever see someone else's moves. It's possible to also track down aura from certain pokémon I'm close to. There's so many plus sides to the aura too."

"Wow," I murmured, amazed. I never knew any of that. It seems almost silly that a pokémon is able to do that. I wonder if it was only riolu and lucario who can do that as well. I grinned widely at Vex and poked at his side gently, "Can you see my aura?"

He gazed to me, sitting up halfway and tilting his head. "Kind of. But it's weird. It's not like a pokémon's, which I wouldn't expect from you."

I looked away in embarrassment and frowned, "Yeah…"

He put a hand on my head and laughed, "Which is why I'm the best pokémon for you to be partners with! Together, we will be able to find out why you're a human inside an Eevee's body!"

I nodded slowly. I still had no trace or idea why I was an eevee. It saddens me that I don't know anything about my human-life. I wanted to know about my parents, friends, partners, everything. Who was I in the human world? Why was the only thing I could recall was that I'm human and my name? I hated it!

Rubbing my head, Vex laughed again. "I promise we'll find out what has happened! Maybe you were brought here for a reason. I'm sure you were."

I forced a fake smile to him and nodded slowly, "I hope you're right. I'm sure I'm missed in the human world too. OH! That reminds me… I wonder what the guild is up to right now. I wonder if they noticed we're gone still…"

"I'm sure they have. It's nearly dark outside," Vex murmured and pointed to the window.

I gazed over my shoulder at the window and frowned. He's right. The blizzard had lightened up a little but it was still snowing some. Though, it was getting darker and anyone could see that. Why though? Why did it continue to snow? This was just weird. I remember that Ampharos said the snow was very suspicious. Everyone in town was curious too it as well. Why was it snowing? I remember how they said something about a legendary pokémon named Articuno. Who was Articuno? I gazed at Vex and asked him.

"Articuno?" He echoed and sat up straight. "She's a legendary ice pokemon, part of the bird trio. There is Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. Ice, electric, and fire," He explained.

"So because she's a legendary, pokémon are thinking she's up to these blizzards?"

Vex nodded and crossed his arms. "That's what it seems like. However, I don't know why she would be doing this."

"Maybe she's angry?" I murmured.

Vex shrugged and replied, "Possibly. The three of them do fight a lot but that's when Lugia takes a step in and breaks them up, sending all three back to their homes."

"Lugia?"

He nodded, "Lugia is the gaurdian of the ocean. But he is also the only one that is able to break up the three of them."

A knock sounded at the door, which caused both Vex and I to instantly jump onto our feet/paws.

"Hello?" A voice called on the other side of the door.

I growled a little, flattening my ears.

"It's Gallade," Vex muttered.


	13. Chapter Twelve - Hatred

**(Hello everyone!** Flickering Fire here and I wanted to apologize for my lack writing... This chapter is rather smaller than most of my other chapters and I'm sorry. I had terrible writers block and had to think of another way for this to go down... Anywho, enjoy Chapter 12.)

 **Chapter 12**

 _ **Hatred**_

"Gallade?" I repeated. How did he find us in the first place? We were in the middle of the forest, in a little tree house, hidden by a blizzard. We were seriously hidden. Maybe he could smell us or something. But he's a Gallade, something that doesn't have a strong smell. I turned and stared out the door. "Should we let him in?" I whispered to Vex.

Vex shrugged and followed my gaze to the door. "I don't know," He replied softly.

Another knock sounded at the door and he called again, "Hello?"

"Who is that?" A voice sounded behind us.

I turned around and looked to the two little electric types that were waking up. Dot and Plusle both let out a huge yawn and sat up straight.

"Let him in! It's big brother Zero!"

 _Zero?_ Did she just say Zero? My mind began to hurt. Why did that name sound so familiar. Ack. I flattened my ears as my head began to pound. I've heard of the name before. I know I have. But from where? I stared at the ground but nothing came to mind. I was so lost.

"Big Brother Zero?" Vex repeated.

"Big brother Zero!" Plusle squealed and ran to the door, jumping up and opening it. He then jumped on the tall green and white Pokémon and hugged him.

"Why did you come out here in this weather?!" Dot demanded, glaring at her 'big brother.'

I turned my head slightly and locked gazes with Gallade. I couldn't help but remember when he attacked that pokémon the other day. A low growl came from the back of Vex's throat. I wanted to growl with him but there was a feeling in me that wanted to question this "Zero" figure. I just sat there and frowned, sitting with my tail wrapped around my paws.

"Its rude to growl at my big brother!" Dot huffed, slapping Vex in the face with her fluffy tail.

Vex looked taken back and put a hand to his cheek. "But he…"

Gallade said nothing, just stared at me. It was awkward. I turned my back on him.

"I didn't realize you had guest, Dot and Plusle," Gallade finally spoke and coughed a little.

"Yeah. Vex saved me and then we saved his girlfriend," Plusle said with a soft chuckle.

"Girlfriend?" I coughed at the same time as Gallade.

"Mhm! I heard you two all talking and saw you all cuddled up with one another," Plusle grinned my way and wiggled his eyebrows.

I guess that's one way to change the topic. I shook my head furiously and spoke, "Nonono.," I muttered fast. I mean, I like Vex as a friend but I don't think I like him anymore than that. Sure he can be cute at times and act like one but tthat doesn't mean he is one. I mean, I'm sure he's got potential but not for me. I flattened my ears and looked at the ground.

"We're just on the same team," Vex assured Plusle, who was sitting on the fighting/psychic types shoulder. "But that doesn't change why you're here!"

"The nurse told me you would be out here somewhere saving a pokémon, so I figured Plusle was the pokémon. I'm out here all the time trying to bring him home but he somehow gets lost every time. Dot doesn't quite have the best sniffer in the world either to find him," Zero carefully explained to Vex, trying not to raise any suspicions.

I was very curious. I gazed up from my paws and quickly glanced at the Plusle on his shoulder. It was weird. The other day Vex and I had seen this Gallade figure attack a pokémon named Darkrai for no reason. Now today, he was acting all friendly. I lowered my gaze back to the ground and began to think to myself. This Gallade's name sounded familiar, I've never seen a Darkrai before, and I have no idea who Zero is outside of hurting Darkrai. But somehow, I knew, it had to be tied together. Zero just randomly showed up here, fearing Plusle had gotten lost. Is his story true?

"Nurse…?" Vex replied, curious.

I jumped up and felt all my fur ruffle. "Yeup. That sure is cool and all. Is it still snowing outside? I want to go home," I said nervously.

"But Marcy, Darkrai?" Vex questioned me.

"Oh that big mean scary pokémon? I don't like him. He's always lurking around here," Dot huffed.

"Scary? If anyone is the scary pokémon, it's him!" Vex accused Zero and pointed at him.

"I admit, I can be a little scary," Plusle chuckled, rubbing a few knuckles across his chest as though he was impressed.

"Not you, Gallade!"

"Big Brother Zero isn't scary," Dot giggled. "Look at him, does he even look scary?" She smiled and crawled over to the tall pokémon. She then climbed up him and sat on his other shoulder. "He looks like a cuddly Tediursa!"

Vex shook his head. "I don't know how someone can trust him so easily. He attacks random Pokémon for no reason," He argued.

I just listened to them. I didn't know how to feel. I've seen two sides of Zero, now three. There was the helpless Zero, aggressive Zero, and now passive Zero. Who is this pokémon?

"Zero would never attack another Pokémon for no reason!" Dot huffed, crossing her arms. "You're a liar!" She accused Vex.

Taken back, Vex gasped, "I'm not a liar!"

"Liar, Liar, pants on fire!"

"No, he's telling the truth," Zero replied as he gently pulled Dot off his shoulder and held her out in front of him. "I did attack a pokémon for no reason, a bad one."

I blink and gazed up at him. Confused, my head turned slightly to the side and I frowned. I'm assuming he was referring to Darkrai but I wasn't sure. He didn't have any emotion on his face. In fact, there was nothing except a blank gaze. Maybe he's attacked another innocent Pokémon before and if he did, that would be awful. I then lowered my head and returned my gaze to my paws. I was one confused Eevee.

"Well, then there was a reason!" Dot gasped, looking up at him. "If it was a bad pokémon, you had to put him in his spot and teach him a lesson!"

Vex shook his head and then gazed out the window. "We need to get going," He growled under his breath and looked at me. "Let's go," He ordered.

"But," I wanted to argue with him and listen to Zero more but the look that Vex had given me… It was hurtful. He was angry. The only time I've seen him angry is when he was talking to Flare the Growlithe. But it was the same look. The same look of hate and distrustfulness. I could sense it. I forced myself up on my paws and then slowly trailed after the angry pokémon. This wasn't going to end well.

"Zero can take you two home," Vex muttered.

"But it's our mission," I whispered to him.

"It was nice meeting you, I'm glad you're okay Plusle," Vex said softly.

"Thank you again! I'll be sure to have momma send you the reward!" The small pokémon called from the other side of the room.

Vex and I left the small treehouse and trudged out into the snow-filled world.

On our way back to the guild, it was quiet. Vex didn't say much, just kept going. He looked a little out of it. He was definitely bothered. He then stopped suddenly and clenched his fist. His fist began to glow a soft blue color and his shoulders tensed up. "GAH!" He growled and then punched a tree, leaving an indent.

I jumped and took a step back. "Vex?" I questioned him, sensing his anger.

"Who does he think he is?" Vex growled, lowering his gaze. "And why is he so interested in you?" He demanded, turning on me.

I flattened my ears and looked up at the angry blue and black pokémon. I've never seen him so angry before except for when he was around Flare. When Flare got too friendly, Vex seemed a little bothered by that too. "I'm not sure," I murmured. Should I tell him I knew this pokémon from somewhere? Or would he just be angrier? I wasn't sure. I wanted to tell him but I couldn't. I was… Scared of Vex at the moment. He's never been a scary pokémon before either. He's usually all happy and giddy. It's strange to see him like this.

"And what did he mean by the nurse told him we were out here? The guild nurse? Blissey?" He asked, gazing at me curiously. "Last I recall, Gallade wasn't anywhere near our guild. So how did he suddenly get to it?" The pokémon seemed very curious.

I looked at him and lied, "I'm… Not sure."

"Did you take him there?" He asked.

"I, what? No!" I exclaimed. "I did no such thing!"

"Marcy… Why didn't you say anything?"

"What? I didn't do anything!"

"You like him, don't you?"

"….." I stared at him in confusion. "WHAT?" I snapped.

"YOU DO!" Vex growled, "I knew it."

"THAT IS NOT IT!" I replied.

"Yes, it is, I saw the way you looked at him back there and the way he looked at you! YOU LIKE HIM! YOU LIKE THE ENEMY?"

I was so utterly embarrassed. My face was all kinds of heated up and I rapidly shook my head. "Nonono!" I replied to him. "That's not it!"

"Then tell me what's going on," Vex demanded.

I sighed and sat down, wanting to bury my face in the snow and hide for years. This was the most embarrassing thing ever. I can't believe he accused me of liking this random pokémon. I just… Ugh. "Vex," I started but couldn't even finish.

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT. LALALA. I KNOW YOU LIKE HIM. I DON'T KNOW WHY BUT I KNOW YOU DO!" He put his hands over his ears and walked in a circle.

"VEX!" I snapped and kicked snow up at him, giving him a hard stare. "Listen to me, now," I told him.

The circling pokémon stopped and gazed at me.

"Yesterday, when you disappeared after the mission, I decided to go on a walk and watch the sunset…" I then told him how Gallade, or Zero, had found me and passed out in front of me when he was trying to tell me something. I told Vex that Zero had been injured and I attempted to help him up but I couldn't. I shared with him how I had strange blackout, "As soon as I nudged him, everything went black and I could hear voices. Strange voices. One was Zero's though, I'm sure of it. I was then awoken by Swampert's ocean-rescue team." I continued to explain to Vex how Swampert and I carried this Gallade back to the guild.

Vex gave me the strangest look he's ever given me. I couldn't tell if he was disgusted or hurt or betrayed. He then lowered his head and looked at the ground. "Jeeze Marcy," He gently murmured to himself. "But the day he hurt that pokémon," He was curious.

I shook my head. "Vex," I murmured and then heard my stomach growl. "Erm, I'll tell the rest. I'm hungry though… Can we get some food?" I smiled brightly at him.

"The rest?" He asked.

"There's more," I told him and flicked my tail, taking the lead as we headed back to Silvermist Town.

It was kind of an awkward walk to the café. Vex was quiet and I was just being myself. I was hopping through the snow best I could. We finally reached Silvermist Town and it was extremely quiet. No one was really out and about except for maybe a few towns pokémon. It was still slightly early so maybe everyone was still asleep. This weather was getting colder though. The snow stopped drifting from the sky, but it still smothered the ground. And I hated it! I hated this cold weather! I used to enjoy the snow but there was just way too much now. Ugh. It was miserable.

We crossed town, being careful to keep our distance away from others, especially any guild members that may have been out and about. It's not that we didn't want to be seen by anyone, it's just I wanted to avoid Flicker and Flare. I'm sure they're out and about looking for me. At least Flare. She may have even followed be but I wouldn't know. Dang Ghost Type. As we reach the Café, it was quiet. There were a few pokémon there but not many. Gazing around, I made out a few towns pokémon and then maybe one or two from the Hot Springs. But no one I knew.

Vex and I took our seat on some beanbags that were really made for the children but it was comfy and I wanted to sit there. I smiled at how comfortable they were and then sunk down.

"So," Vex started awkwardly.

"So," I replied.

"What happened?" He asked.

I nearly forgot why we came here. I was so hungry and distracted by the hunger… I flashed him an embarrassed smile before sitting up straight. "Nothing really happened," I told him softly. "But I feel like… Like I know this Zero character from somewhere. I honestly have no idea where though. He's not from any of the guilds. At least, not that I know of. I didn't see him at Moonlight Town's guild…" I trailed off when I still couldn't remember where he was from.

"I don't like him," Vex muttered. "Whether or not you know him from somewhere. There's something fishy about him and I know it," He explained, crossing his arms. "I know there is!" He growled.

"We don't even know him, Vex," I replied to him.

"Obviously you do," He sounded very annoyed. "So don't even say that." He gave me a sideways glance that was so cold.

I've never seen such a cold gaze from my partner, it hurt. Maybe I should stop talking about him then… I let out a soft sigh and shook my head, flattening my ears. However, it hurt me a little that he was talking so much smack about this pokémon we only saw once. I mean, I didn't trust Zero fully but I could sense he wasn't bad. I knew he was.

"Whatever," Vex muttered as he took a sip out of his drink. "He's not the good guy."

"I don't know why you're saying that," I murmured softly, feeling a little agitated.

"Marcy? Why are you on his side anyway?" Vex accused me.

"On his side?" I replied, shocked that he would even say that. "I'm not his side, Vex."

He huffed and turned his nose up at me, "You're obviously not on _my_ side either."

I felt my fur ruffle at this conversation and I jumped up on my paws. How dare he accuse me. "Vex, I think you're going a little overboard with this," I retaliated.

He calmly stood up and turned his back on me, "Am I? I'm sorry I don't go around trusting some random pokémon."

Anger was just rising up in me. I _knew_ there was nothing wrong with that Zero figure. I knew there wasn't. He was a kind pokémon and I could see it. The day he came up to me on the beach and spoke to me, there was kindness and worry in his voice. I sensed he was being serious. The day he attacked Darkrai, I knew there had to be another story behind that. I glared coldly at Vex, for I have never seen him like that. "Do you have any proof he's not a good guy?"

"The day he attacked that pokémon," Vex told me with some sass.

"Anything else?" I demanded.

"Other than seeing him constantly on the guilds board? Which he's _always_ up there!" He snapped.

I growled, fur fluffing up some more. "Okay? For what? Taking a pokémon's candy?" I popped off.

"FOR MULTIPLE STEALINGS!" He raised his voice even louder, loud enough for others in the café to hear us.

"Ooh. Maybe there's a _reason_ behind all of that?" I snapped at him. "Did you even bother to read the request?" I demanded from him.

"NO DID YOU?" He snapped, getting in my face. "Can you even read? Dear Arceus, you think you're a human from another world!" His voice was so loud.

I felt my face fluster with embarrassment as we were getting gazes all around. Voices began to murmur a little and I could feel myself reverberating with fear. I couldn't believe he just said that out loud.

"You know something? For a 'human,' you're quite blind to realize how stupid you look sometimes. Or maybe its the same for all of your kind. You're all more blind than a Swoobat. I think you just hit your head a little too hard when you randomly showed up on the beach." He growled at me

"I know I'm not a normal eevee, Vex-" I was cut off when he continued ranting angrily.

"What's wrong with your fur pattern? And why are your paws that color? I just don't understand. If you think you are human, you're insane. No one in our world has heard of such a thing happening. Besides, Humans are stupid when they're too blind to realize who the bad guy is and who isn't. And you're one of those blind 'humans' or in this case, pokémon! You're not a human. You're an average eevee and there is _nothing_ special about you." He said, words heartless and cold as though he was another pokémon. "If i gave you a firestone, you would evolve into a Flareon. Thunderstone? Not a problem, you'd be a Jolteon! And you know? Ever since I found you and took you under my wing, you've been nothing but trouble! So listen to me and listen to me clearly. We're done. Forget about being on a team. I'm not teaming up with you. Get a new partner or whatever the distortion world I was to you."

I felt tears bellowing up as his words hit me hard and cold. Everything he said… It stung so badly. It hurt me. Why would he even say these things? I thought… We were supposed to be a team. I growled and gave him a cold glare. As I was about to speak, he spoke before me.

"Teammates don't lie to one another or keep secrets," He said to me, staring down at me with his eyes full of darkness.

That wasn't his look. Something was wrong with him. This wasn't the Vex I knew. I couldn't even speak to him.

"Any promises you can take back and give them to your new friend, Zero," Vex growled, balling his fist up.

"What about Zero?" A voice asked, coming in from the café.

Both Vex and I turned sharply to see who walked in. To our surprise, it was Zero as if right on time. With him were Dot and Plusle, the ones we had rescued.

"You're just a dirty thief," Vex growled at him. "You steal and you attack innocent pokémon," He snarled and began to form a fist of light.

"Please! No fighting—" A café worker, Emolga, called as she flew towards them.

"You fought a pokémon for no reason and now you're filling Marcy's head with lies!" Vex snapped.

"Vex, I have done nothing—" Zero said, quickly pushing his two buddies away. "I've hardly spoken to Marcy!"

"Lies!" Vex snapped, his eyes getting darker and the pulse ball growing bright. Suddenly, his hands were put together and he flung the blue ball in the direction of Zero.

Something was weird about Vex. I'm not sure if he really was like this and I just brought the anger out of him or what. I was really confused but I still couldn't believe the hurtful words he said to me.

"What do you think you're doing Vex?" Zero asked him, putting his hands up to block the pulse best he could. He had a hard time withstanding it and even slid back a little.

"Stop it!" I snapped at Vex and he just turned on me, walking up to me with those cold eyes. He outstretched his hands and something grew in them. The blue orb got closer and closer to me as he neared me. "Humans in our world do not exist. So snap out of it. I'm leaving the guild and I'm going to join the Megas. At least then I know I won't be held back by some 'human' scum." He snapped as he smacked me with the blue orb…

Force Palm. Super Effective. I waited for the impact by flinching back and bowing my head. I couldn't show any weakness but I was scared. This wasn't my Vex. This wasn't the Vex I knew. Something was wrong with him and I don't know what it was. I wanted to help him…. Though, right now, I was scared. I was scared of what was wrong with him.

I waited and waited for that force palm. But I felt nothing. I opened one eye to see Gallade had come in front of me to block the hit. However, there was something different about him. About the way he looked and the way he stood. I have never seen this before. I stared up at the Gallade who glanced over his shoulder, a fearful look in his eyes for me. "You need to leave," He murmured to me as he continued to use protect while Vex was attempting to bash through it. I was so mesmerized though. This wasn't an ordinary Gallade standing before me. He had a cape and red plates emerge on his arms. He looked like a knight. Ack! This was no time to be impressed. I saw everyone clearing out of the building. I turned and ran after them, escaping Vex and the danger he had put upon everyone. As I was running, the Riolu turned to gaze at me, that cold look still in his eyes. He then turned after me and ran in my direction.

Zero stopped him in his tracks and growled, "Vex you need to stop this."

And that was it. I turned and ran. I turned and ran away from my supposedly best friend. I needed to go back to the guild. Because if he said what was true, I will no longer have a team. I will be a solo pokémon. The guild were for pokémon who had teams. Not a random solo pokémon. I'm not close to anyone else in the guild either to join a team with anyway. I mean, I think I could possibly make it as a solo team but... I don't know. I'm still just an eevee. Nothing more. Maybe it was time to consider evolving...

I cleared my head and focused on running. There was just a few questions I wanted answers to as soon as possible. Vex wasn't Vex... Unless he really was angry that I knew Gallade. What could he possibly have against a pokémon he didn't know? Why was Vex like this? I needed answers. But for now, I ran from him in the snow with tears streaming down my face and an anger burning inside me. Why Vex.


	14. Chapter Thirteen - Training Day

That Same Night… (As Chapter 12 with Eevee and what not)

 **Chapter Thirteen**

 **Training Day**

"So Vex and Marcy just broke up over an argument?" A dark purple and yellow figure spoke on the balcony of Spirit Tower. She looked very concerned and worried. I can't believe it. She thought to herself and delicately sat on the railing of the porch. She crossed her little legs and stared at her folded hands.

"Yes, sadly they did," Gallade sighed, leaning against the doorway. He was staring at the clear, black sky above his head.

"That's not… A good thing, Zero, Did you try to stop their arguing?" Banette asked with a sigh.

He closed his eyes and slowly lowered his head. "I tired," He murmured sadly. "However, I didn't get a word in. They were arguing too much… But the weird thing was," Zero paused, "Was that he tried to strike an innocent pokémon. He attempted to attack Marcy. I'm not sure what was wrong with him." Zero didn't know Vex very well but from what he had witnessed over time, the young riolu was not an evil pokémon. He was not mean. But something changed him. Even if the two were just arguing, Zero wouldn't have known what to say. He hardly knew what the argument thing was even over. There was no way he could have balanced out their relationship and his busy tasks he was already slacking on! He was so overwhelmed with different tasks that he had to complete. He felt drawn to the Eevee back in Cinccino's guild for little reasons, and he felt like he could help her. But, he wasn't going to be able to help her! He felt as if he knew her from somewhere. But with so much going on, he can hardly speak with her. Now that Vex and she are no longer a team, what else could he do? Now, the thing he needed to worry about were his leaders plans. With the three of the most powerful Pokémon on the loose and planning to destroy the world, it was complicated to always keep watch on Marcy and Vex. It was hard to keep up with anything that was going on in the world.

Banette just sighed again. She stood up on the edge of the railing. "Forgive me," She mumbled. "Zero, I apologize that Vex and Marcy are broken up… But that doesn't mean you can start relaxing and slacking on your other jobs." She frowned and looked to the ground.

Zero tried to change the subject some. "Anyway. Vex wanted to join your team. I want you to accept him, to see what in the name of Arceus is going on with him. I want Absol or Houndoom to give him training. Someone that will not let up until the job is done," The pokémon turned to the floating ghost and gave her a hard stare. He was serious about this. "And you will do that," He told her. Zero didn't want to talk about the breakup of Vex and Marcy. In fact, he had other tasks he needed to focus on. Like how to stop the blizzard and the pokémon causing it…

"Zero," Banette sighed and shook her head, crossing her ghostly mega-legs. "I don't know if we can force his evolution," She told him. "A riolu evolves by friendship. Not by force."

Zero grinned at her and crossed his arms. "Don't worry, Houndoom and Absol know exactly what to do."

The mega Banette stood up on the railing and turned her back towards him. She gazed up at the moon that shone brightly above. "You will stop this nonsense that is happening, correct?" She questioned. "You know what is causing the blizzard, don't you?"

Zero took a few steps and leaned his back against the railing, gazing up at the sky with her. "I do," He told her. "And I do intend to stop it. But I can't do it alone. Those few pokémon that are running loose and causing this are not easy to stop… Darkrai especially. I tried to get information from him but Marcy and Vex saved him."

"And the other two?" She questioned.

"Mewtwo? Don't worry. I have someone on his case already," Zero chuckled. "He's taken care of. As for the last one… I don't know what to do about her. I can't stop her."

"Even with the help of us, hrm?" Banette questioned.

"No," Zero sighed, "I need Cinccino's help and the other guilds around." He needed both guilds help for that. However, they're both having a hard time accepting the fact about what's going on.

Banette looked at him, somewhat curious. "Why do you want me to accept Vex?" She asked.

He shrugged. "That Riolu isn't the strongest Pokémon out there and he can only do so much damage, Banette. He needs proper training if he wants to become a Mega. Cinccino's guild isn't that strict on beginners." He explained. "He needs to be prepared for what might happen in the future. He needs to be prepared."

"How do you know this?" She asked, crossing her arms and staring coldly at him.

"I… Just have this feeling he needs to proper training," replied Zero, taking a few steps backwards. He knew exactly why he was having Banette's guild train that poor excuse for a riolu, but will not mention anything. He was a terrible battler, Vex is. Well, not too terrible but he isn't the best either. "I mean; I would try to train him myself but I'm busy with my own goals." He murmured and looked over Moonlight Town.

Banette cupped her chin and looked up to the sky. She then shrugged and nodded. "Fine, Zero. I will get some of the apprentices to train with him. He won't be going on too many missions because he is a loner in the guild. He has no team unless he decides to join someone or he finds someone…"

"No apprentices. Houndoom and Absol have been spoken to. Pick one or the other." Gallade dipped his head and grinned slightly. "But other than that, it's wonderful. Don't be afraid to make it complicated for him." Zero then turned away from the Banette and pushed the doors open and disappeared on the other side.

Vex was headed in the direction of Moonlight Town, kicking the snow up here and there. He was ticked off at Marcy for not believing him. He was mad that she wasn't even on his side nor would she back him up on anything. In fact, she ignored the fact that Zero is a bad pokémon. He knew this. He was told that Zero was a bad pokémon and all the terrible things he's done. He remembers the pokemon's words echoing in his mind: _He's a terrible pokémon, Vex. He's the cause for the snow. He's the cause of Marcy… He's been brainwashing her since day one. He's using Marcy._ They were friends… So why couldn't she believe him? He's _never_ lied to her about anything before. He's always told the truth! He saved her from the beach and took her in as a guild member! Why couldn't she see that he was telling the truth? But if it's true, what the legendary pokémon told him, then Marcy was just an idiot.

 _No matter. I'll just go form my own Mega Team and train with them!_ He huffed and crossed his arms as he walked through the snow. A sigh escaped him as he looked around. Where was he even at? How could he get to Banette's Guild from here?

"VEX! STOP!" A voice called from behind him.

He didn't stop at all. He just kept walking, frustrated and angry at the world. He scooped up some icy-snow and packed it into a ball. Aiming at some random tree, he launched the snowball as hard as he could. Of course, it busted on impact. "Stupid snowball," He muttered. Vex just completely hated the world at the moment.

"VEX! You're not even going the right way!" The voice sighed, catching up to him. Zero took a step in front of Vex, blocking his way to get to wherever he was going.

"What are you doing here?" Vex's deep and dark voice sounded as he froze in the snow. He lifted his head and gave the coldest glare to Zero who was trying to stop him. This was the pokémon who brainwashed his friend. Anger raised in his paws. "Move out of my way," He snarled to him.

"Vex…" Zero groaned and shook his head. His eyes then began to glow blue and he suddenly stared hard at Vex. He then put out his hand and pointed it at Vex. "If you won't listen," he mumbled.

Within a few seconds, Vex's feet were picked up off of the ground and he was now floating in the air. "HEY!" He gasped, flailing in the air as he tried to break free of the psychic move. "Put me down, put me down!"

Gallade shook his head. "Nope. Look, I may not be able to reunite you with Marcy… But, if you're really going to join Banette's guild, you're going in the opposite direction!" The green and white Pokémon tried to tell him.

However, Vex was still freaked out with the entire 'floating because Gallade was using psychic' thing. He was kicking around and punching the air at nothing. His eyes were wide with anger. "If you don't put me down, I swear to Arcues— "

Gallade sighed and closed his eyes, letting Riolu fall down in the snow on his behind. "Please, come with me and I will lead you to the guild," He mumbled and turned in the opposite direction.

Vex landed with a thud. He was sitting on the ground and staring up at the green and white Pokémon walking away. "I'm not going anywhere with the likes of you," He snapped and turned the opposite direction.

Zero glared at him and then used psychic once more to pick the pokémon up and carry him.

The two Pokémon stopped at the doors of Spirit Tower. Once there, he instantly dropped Vex who was fighting the psychic powers the entire time. It was only a day or two since he was first here. Will these pokémon even let him train with him? Pft. Of course they will. He could mega evolve.

Vex took a step toward the door and a loud voice sounded. "STOP," The voice growled.

Gallade glared at the bushes that surrounded Spirit Tower. "Zoroark, please let us in. It's Gallade with a friend," He murmured.

"I'm not your friend, in fact. I hate you," Vex growled to him.

Out of the bushes came a large red and black Pokémon. The Pokémon had his arms crossed and he looked straight into at him. "Zero? What are you doing here?" The furry Pokémon asked.

Vex had attempted to relax after he couldn't break free of Gallade's psychic powers. He stared up at this pokémon, amazed. He has never seen this Pokémon before. It was a strange looking and he didn't look very happy. Feeling a presence behind him, he turned only to see that he was looking at another Riolu. "HEY!" He jumped backwards, bumping into Gallade. He then leaned forward and watched as the other Riolu leaned forward. Vex then did a few other things, only to watch the Pokémon copy him.

"Will you _stop_ that?!" The Pokémon snapped. A bright blue light appeared from the Riolu and he transformed into a very smaller version of what looked like the large Zoroark. The Zorua glared at Riolu and huffed. "EVERYONE does that!" She snapped and looked at Zoroark.

The Zoroark frowned and shook his head slightly. "Now, now Silver. Don't be rude," He wagged one of his fingers back and forth at her.

She growled and glared at him, "Well. Everyone seems to think that I'm a mirror or something. I hate it!" Silver muttered, sitting down and wrapping her tail around her. She gave Vex a cold stare.

Vex returned the cold glare and stuck his nose up at her.

"We must speak to Banette, please," Gallade asked Zoroark.

The large, furry red and black Pokémon gave both Vex and Gallade a look before nodding some. "Hrm… Okay. You may go in," He told them.

Vex was the first to open the doors. Well, he tried to. He couldn't get them opened; it was as if they were locked on the other side or something. He leaned against the door, with all his weight, and tried to open it once more. "Stupid doors!" He groaned through clenched teeth. "Open!" All of a sudden the doors opened from the other side. As they opened Vex fell and rolled forward. He clashed into a Pokémon which caused him to stop. "Oww," He mumbled. Crawling away from the Pokémon he bumped into, he rubbed his head. His gaze rested on the Pokémon. "Why would you open the door when someone was leaning on it!" Vex growled.

"What are you doing here? I thought you left the other day?" Houndoom asked. The Pokémon stood up and shook the dust off of him.

Vex was leaning back on his arms as he gazed up at the large dark-type dog. "I didn't mean to!" He replied and shook his head. "I need to speak with Banette."

Houndoom looked at him curiously and nodded slowly. "Banette, eh?" He looked down at his paws and looked around the round room.

"Did I hear my name?" A voice called from above their heads.

Vex looked up to see the large purple and black Pokémon floating down slowly. She landed delicately and a few inches away from the Riolu. He took a few steps back and began to think. This was seriously about to happen. He was about to join Banette's guild. Was this the right thing?

 _It has to be. I have a Mega Form!_ He thought to himself and stood up tall.

"Vex, what are you doing here? I thought you and Marcy left to go to back to Silvermist?" Banette spoke, tilting her head and examining the Pokémon. She even floated around him. She acted as though the night before nothing happened and she knew nothing of Vex's and Marcy's fight.

"I want to join your guild. I want to be a Mega."

Banette grinned and nodded. "Welcome to the guild, Vex."

The sun rolled into a small room with one, little and lonely feather bedding. A small blue and black Pokémon was sleeping in that feathery bedding only to begin stirring as the light rested on his eyes. His eyes began to open slowly and he let out a huge yawn. He lied in his bed for a bit longer, enjoying the warmth of the sun. It felt so nice to feel the sun after it had been so cold for the past few days. The snow didn't help much with the cold either!

 _KNOCK KNOCK._

Vex rolled over, groaning something that wasn't even clear.

 _KNOCK KNOCK – CLICK_. The door opened and a large Pokémon appeared in the doorway.

"Get up," The voice spoke.

Vex rolled back over and let out another huge yawn. Slowly, he sat up and looked to the doorway, sleepily. He rubbed his eyes and then stretched. "Huh? Training?" He murmured sleepily. His eyes grew wide when he gazed at the Pokémon who was speaking. Suddenly, he jumped on his feet and kind of freaked out. "ACK! Where am I?! Who are you?!" He looked around the room and then realized where he was. "Oh wait… Haha," He placed a hand behind his head and grinned widely with embarrassment. "Err. Hello Houndoom."

Houndoom gave him a look before motioning him through the door. "Let's go. Some of the other Pokémon are waiting for you to train with them," He explained. "Mostly apprentices for now." He began to walk down the stairs that lead to the main room of Spirit Tower.

Vex got up and dusted the feathers from him. He then ran after Houndoom. "Training? Like, pew-pew training?!" He punched the air as if he was punching an opponent. The other night had completely blanked his memory. As far as he knows, him and Marcy had an argument and the two went their separate ways.

Houndoom raised an eyebrow at him and nodded slowly. "Yeah… Like pew-pew," He replied slowly. It was nice to see how much enthusiasm the young Pokémon had. It kind of reminded him of his own training when he was younger and not even evolved yet. He smiled lightly.

The two Pokémon reached the main floor of the Spirit Tower. Already, it was busy with several different Pokémon. There were Mega Evolved Pokémon here and there and non-Megas. Vex felt relieved to see that he wasn't the only Pokémon who hadn't evolved yet. There were Lairon's, Scyther's, and even some younger Pokémon like Abra's! A smile sat on Vex's face and he looked around the room. It was so busy in the mornings! Pokémon were looking over the missions' board and some were buying snacks from the guilds' cook (A Toxicroak.) It looked much more organized than Cinccino's guild.

 _No! We're not going to think of that guild!_ He thought to himself. _…Or Marcy_. He still felt hatred towards her. How could she be so stupid. However, he was still pissed off at her for not believing him. He shook his head to clear his mind.

"Good morning, Gallade. Vex." Absol greeted both Pokémon, followed by Banette

Vex looked up at the two Pokémon and bowed his head in greeting. "Hello!" He spoke and smiled up at them. "I'm so ready to start my pew-pew fighting!" He punched the air with his fist, once more.

Houndoom gave him an odd look. "You think you're tough, little guy?" He teased Vex.

Vex gave a competitive grin and nodded. "Yeah!" He exclaimed, punching the air upwards.

Houndoom stepped back and cowered, "Ooh! I'm so scared. Don't hurt meeee!" He then returned to his normal stance and laughed. "Yeah. Right." He shook his head and looked at Absol. "I will go and gather the others who are training today," He told him.

Absol nodded. "Please do. As for us, we will head to the battle field." He turned and glanced over his shoulder at Vex and Banette. "Let us go," He spoke to them.

Banette nodded and gave Vex a little push forward toward Absol.

Vex blinked and looked at Banette. He then trailed after Absol out of Spirit Tower. Once they got out of Spirit Tower, Vex began to look at the scenery. There was a main path through town that was cleared of snow. The snow on the sides of the path was still kind of high though. However, it wasn't as bad as it has been in the past few days. For once, the snow has begun to melt. It was a relief to see the snow was finally beginning to melt. Though, the slush on the ground didn't feel good on Vex's feet. At least he wasn't going through the snow though.

Absol didn't lead Vex completely into town. Instead, he brought Vex to the right side of Spirit Tower. They followed the path that lead to the battle field. As they got there, Vex's eyes grew huge. There were two opposite ends with benches and such on the sides of the field. There were also trees and bushes going around the field (on the other side of the benches and such) with certain berries growing in them. The battle field was completely dirt with several rocks on the field. Sunshine lit up the field, making it glow a brown color. It was a nice little battle field. Surprisingly, there was no snow on the battle field or on the benches surrounding it. There was snow on the bushes and trees though. Vex was excited. This was the beginning of real battle training.

"This is battle field one. This is where most of the guilds apprentices do their first battles. There is another, more complex battle field on the other side of Spirit Tower for the older Pokémon," Absol spoke up. He crossed over the battle field and sat down on a flat rock, overlooking the battle field. "Stand near the benches," He ordered Vex.

Vex did as he was told. He stood next to a bench and listened to the sounds surrounding him. He then could hear the soft murmur of Pokémon coming in their direction. His head raised and he watched as few Pokémon came to the battle field, led by Houndoom.

Houndoom walked across the field and stood beside Absol. "Everyone just find a seat or place to stand. And then listen up!" He called across the field.

The Pokémon stood in a line, ready to battle. Vex was excited to see how many Pokémon there were. He was a little nervous at how long they have been battling for. Absol did say for beginners, right? What if he totally embarrasses himself?

"Pokémon of Spirit Tower," Houndoom started up again, his gaze going from one Pokémon to another. "Today we are going to have a little competition. Winner of the battles will have the honor to battle either Absol or myself. The first few battles will be decided by Absol and I. We will start with…" He trailed off and eyed the entire group before grinning some, "Combustion versus Haunter!"

Two Pokémon, a fire Pokémon and a ghost Pokémon stepped forward and took their places on the opposite sides of the fields.

"I expect each and every one of you to try your best and learn from these battles. When I say the battle is done, the battle is done," Houndoom howled to everyone. He then raised his head and spit fire out, "BEGIN!"

Vex was quivering with happiness. He was excited to learn from other Pokémon and take mental notes. Maybe he'll be able to see a mega evolution happen today! Or maybe not. He didn't get his hopes up too high. He just wanted to see some action.

After the starting battles were over, it was time for Vex to have his battle with a Pokémon he's never made contact with before. It was a Gible. Vex was on one side of the battle field and the dragon Pokémon was on the other side. They were both itching for a battle. One could see the anticipation they both showed on the battle field. Absol and Houndoom were still sitting in their spots and Banette had rejoined them. However, she decided to stay away from the group and watch from a distance.

"Let us begin the last battle of the first round," Houndoom howled. He then lifted his muzzle to the sky and let out a huge fiery flame which meant the battle had begun.

Gible let out a roar and began to run at Vex, using tackle. He wasn't the swiftest Pokémon, Gible wasn't., Vex has never had a major battle. He knew this wasn't going to be easy.

Instead of dodging the attack, Vex ran swiftly toward the Gible using quick attack. Both of the Pokémon rammed into each other, quite hard. They both slid back on impact. When Gible was on the other side of the field, he opened his mouth and fired a red-orange fireball at Vex.

Vex didn't realize the dragon rage was coming toward him until the last moment. He had just recovered but was suddenly thrown back against a rock by the powerful Dragon Rage move. He grunted in pain when he hit the rock. Slowly, he began to recuperate. He then noticed Gible firing yet another Dragon Rage toward him. This time, the Riolu used quick attack and dodged the move. The dragon rage hit the rock and caused it to breakdown. Glancing back at the now-destroyed rock, Vex began to get a little worried. What if Gible was stronger than him? He shook the thought away and glared at the Gible He wasn't going to get beaten by a little Pokémon. Not in front of all these other Pokémon! A low growl sounded from the pokémon and he glared at Gible. He was going to show no weakness in front of anyone, especially not Banette who was watching him. He could feel the rage build up inside him when he saw that small glint of pride show on Gible's face. That bothered him. He knew that Gible was feeling cocky and Vex didn't approve of it.

Using quick attack, Vex ran toward his opponent who was firing numerous charges of Dragon Rage. He was dodging the attacks, using quick attack. As he reached Gible, he jumped up and brought his palm back. His right palm began to glow a bright color. Suddenly, he hit Gible with a Force Palm, which caused the pokémon to slide back. A bright grin appeared on Vex's face and he stood there, breathing heavily. He waited to see what the Gible would do next.

Gible stood up and put his hand on his head. He shook away the pain and growled in anger at the pokémon who attacked him. "No more going easy!" He huffed.

"You were going easy?" Vex taunted and watched his movements. "Pfft. A Magikarp hit's harder than you!" Anger filled the riolu as everything from last night came rolling back into him. A weird feeling filled his stomach and his fist. His eyes were full of hatred, beaming a dark, maroon red. All he could see was Marcy. He remembered how Zero had stopped him from attacking her last night. That made him angrier and he growled.

Gible glared at the Pokémon and began to use Rock Tomb. Gible charged at Vex and crashed into him. At that same moment, rocks appeared and surrounded Vex.

Vex glanced at the rocks and realized there was no escape. The rocks surrounded him and smooshed his body. Now, his head was popped out of the top of the four rocks and he struggled to get free.

"Tch. Getting trapped by rock tomb?" Gible mocked him. "That's impressive."

Vex gave him a cold look and continued to wiggle, "Just wait until I get out of this…" The rocks only got tighter as he struggled. Finally, he knew what he had to do. His balled his palms and they began to glow, just barely being visible under the rocks. Vex attempted to use force palm on the rocks that were crushing him but they also got tighter.

Gible used Dragon Rage and fired it at Vex who was stuck in the rock tomb. He braced himself for the move. The Dragon Rage busted on impact as it hit Vex and the rocks.

The fighting Pokémon was flung back with the rocks and he groaned when he hit the ground hard. He glared up at Gible. Both Pokémon were breathing heavily but neither of them were going to give up. Vex tried to think of something that would definitely surprise Gible and the other Pokémon. He blinked when he remembered something. Vex stood up and stared at his opponent. Suddenly, he was surrounded by a bright blue color. He grinned widely at Gible yelling, "I told you!" One of his eyes twinkled with hate for the younger pokémon and he grinned even wider. He recalled how Gible used Dragon Rage move, and copied it. The aura surrounding his body turned a slight red color, and he aimed the Dragon rage at Gible. He put his wrist together and had his palms face Gible, and the bright orange sphere was fired directly at the Dragon Pokémon.

Gible was obviously shocked that Vex knew the move, copycat, and stared in disbelief. The super-effective move hit Gible quite badly and he was flung backwards. He landed near the edge of the battle field.

Vex turn lit up and began to run towards the Gible, ready to continue fighting him. His eyes grew wider with hatred for Gible and he had the ugliest and most wicked look on his face. He wanted to end this. For real. But Gible wasn't getting up and Vex knew… He knew, this was the way to end Gible once and for all. Using quick-attack and combining it with force palm, Vex jumped high into the air and jumped to Gible, nearly landing on him. However, he was suddenly stopped in midair.

"That's enough!" Houndoom called from the referee spot. He jumped to the middle of the battle field and looked at both Pokémon. Gible was down and out and Vex was barely standing. "The winner is Vex." He looked toward the blue and black Pokémon who was breathing heavily.

"Me? I'm the winner?" Vex whispered. He then calmed down and his eyes lightened up a little. He smiled and whispered, "Getting beaten by your own move? Impressive." When he landed, he fell down on his hands and knees. "Woo," He cheered quietly to himself. During that battle, he took a lot of pain and was now very injured.

Houndoom nudged the Pokémon and grinned, "Great battle kid. Way to use your Copycat to an advantage," He complimented Vex.

Vex smiled up at Houndoom and limped off the battle field. He was pretty cut up and little blood flowed from him. (YES Pokémon BLEED IN THIS STORY. GET OVER IT. XD) He plopped himself down on the ground and laid there for a few minutes, staring at the sky and trying to catch his breath. A few Pokémon towered over him and looked down at him.

"That was a great battle Vex! Great Job!" A small Pokémon complimented him.

"Yeah! That was impressive!" Another Pokémon cheered.

He smiled at the Pokémon and murmured a, "Thanks." Then, he sat up and looked around the field. His gaze fell on the Gible who was limping toward them. He was a different pokémon now then he was on the battle field. This time, he actually smiled at the pokémon. "Great battle, Gible!" He told him. "You're dragon rages were incredible!" He complimented. "And that rock tomb… That was impressive!"

Gible glared at him and walked by. He didn't say anything, only made a noise, "Tch." The blue Pokémon then made his way back to Spirit Tower.

"That concludes this morning's battles. After lunch, we will return and the winners will battle," Absol called out to the Pokémon.

The other Pokémon cheered happily when Absol said the word, 'lunch.' However, Vex wasn't very hungry. He wanted to continue training. He nearly got his butt handed to him in that last battle! The Pokémon wasn't exactly sure who he was going to battle next. In fact, he didn't care who he battled next. He just wanted to continue the battling. He hasn't had serious training like that for some time. It was a rush to battle! The memory of pain from battles was all of a sudden remembered.

As the other Pokémon departed, Riolu was left there to relax for a bit. He went around the bushes that were covered in snow and began to pick the few berries that were left on them. After gathering a few, he began to eat some. It was nice to have fresh berries after an intense battle. His gaze scanned the clearing and he noticed Banette floating down to him.

"Ahh, little Vex!" She smiled happily. "That was a great battle. The way you moved and the way you attacked, it was very impressive for a Pokémon as yourself!"

Vex smiled up at her and tilted his head some, "Thanks Banette! It felt great to have a real battle. I never got a real battle like that back in Cinccino's guild!"

Banette let out a soft chuckle and she sat down beside him. "Is that so? I bet this is a big change for you, huh?" She asked.

He nodded in agreement, the memory of the battle fading from him. "It's a big change. Painful, but hey… I'll get through, right?!"

A smile showed on her face as she looked back at Vex. "I know what you mean. When I started my training here, I was sure I wasn't going to win any battles. In fact, my mentor thought I was one of the weaker pokémon. BUT LOOK AT ME NOW!" She floated into the air and did a twirl in her normal Banette form. "I'm the leader of this guild," She laughed.

Vex let out a soft chuckle and nodded.

"BANETTE!" A Pokémon breathed heavily. "It's an emergency! It's about Lugia! Something has happened to her!" Out of the bushes came a large white and green furry creature. His eyes were wide and he looked very worried.

"Lugia?!" Gasped Banette and she instantly turned into her mega form. Her eyes grew wide. "I thought Lugia was Cinccino's job to watch over him!" Banette gasped, putting her hands up to her mouth.

The Abomasnow shook his head and he lowered his head. "They don't know what's wrong with her. She had Team Skyfall come to our guild and tell us that Lugia was in danger. We need to go NOW!" He was still breathing heavily.

Banette nodded slowly and frowned, "Got it. Go round-up Aerodactyl, Garchomp, Gyrados and a few other Megas. None of the apprentices. They must stay back in the guild!" She ordered.

Vex watched them, looking very confused. He has heard of 'Lugia' but didn't exactly know who she was or what she was. After hearing about someone being injured, Vex really wanted to go with the other Megas. It would be quite intriguing to see a Lugia. "Banette please let me go with you! PLEASE!" He begged her.

"Vex… I don't know. This is a very dangerous mission," She murmured, glancing back at Abomasnow who was already heading back to the Spirit Tower.

"I'll stay out of trouble! Please let me go!" He begged her, staring up at her with wide eyes. He really wanted to go and help out the best he could. He wanted to learn more about Lugia and what was wrong with her. Maybe he could even help find out the problem!

Absol walked up beside Banette and he nodded. "Let him go," He told her with a soft sigh. "He'll just follow us either way."

Banette stayed silent for a few seconds and then she sighed. She thought about it. Absol had a point, Vex would follow them somehow. "Fine. Absol, you're in charge of him though. Go find one of the flying Megas to take him there." She ordered him.

"Let's go, Kid," Absol leaped away and Vex followed him best he could.

Vex was still feeling weak but the few berries offered by Banette had helped him. His eyes glimmered with anticipation to find out what happened. Not only that, but he would be able to FLY! HE WAS ABOUT TO FLY! WOO! He was a little excited for this mission or whatever it was and he couldn't stop thinking about it.

Absol stopped in front of Spirit Tower and gazed at the sky. He noticed an Aerodactyl about to take flight with a large fire Pokémon. "KENNA, AERODACTYL! Come here!" He howled to the two Pokémon.

The two Pokémon exchanged glances before landing in front of Absol.

"I need one of you to take this Riolu with you. Just do and ask questions later," The dark Pokémon commanded the two. He was giving them this very serious stare. He was standing tall and looking straight into their eyes. They couldn't say no to him.

Kenna, the Charizard (Mega Charizard Y), gave Vex an awkward glance. "Are you sure, Absol?" She murmured. "He's still so… Young."

Aerodactyl nodded in agreement. "Kenna is correct, Absol. Whatever is happening with Lugia shouldn't involve a young Pokémon."

Absol growled deeply and his fur began to fluff up some. He was obviously aggravated. "Did you not hear me? Take this Riolu with you NOW! Banette's orders!" He snapped.

The two of them sighed and Kenna let out a soft sigh. "Climb aboard, young one, and hold on tight. This ride might get too bumpy for you," She told him with a soft smile.

Vex could see right through that smile. Kenna was not that excited to take a young Pokémon to such a dangerous thing. The Riolu knew he was young and he wouldn't be much help, but he would be able to experience something no one else has. He climbed on the back of the Charizard and held on tight. A sudden blast of cold air, and they were now soaring through the air. Vex enjoyed every minute of the flight. He didn't pay attention to what was in front of him; instead he paid attention to what was going on in Moonlight Town. He could see Pokémon looking up at them and then waving. They had no idea something was going on. From the sky, Vex could see the ocean that surrounded the land. He could see Lake Blue from the sky and even where Luminous Forest was! He could see the mountains that he and Marcy climbed to get to Moonlight Town. All of it was so amazing. He looked back behind him at Moonlight Town, which was surrounded by mountains. There were only two paths that lead into the town too. The path most Pokémon go through and a path that lead east of the town. They were narrow paths too.

They flew through the sky, fast and they were coming up on the beach where Marcy and Vex first met. Kenna and Aerodactyl landed softly, kicking up some sand as they did so. Vex climbed from Kenna and thanked her before turning to see what all Pokémon were there. Banette was already there and she was talking with Guild Leader, Cinccino. Ampharos of her guild was there as well, communicating with Banette and Cinccino. The leader of Team Aqua, Swampert, was talking with them as well. The rest of his team was nowhere to be seen. There was also the leader of Team Skyfall, a flying type team only. Their leader was a very large and buff male Swellow. He had a bright blue band wrapped around one of his legs. The five of them were talking quietly, discussing something. Banette took flight to the sky once more and looked at her Mega Pokémon.

"Megas, fly with me!" Banette ordered her Pokémon.

Cinccino looked at the leaders of team Skyfall and Aqua and she nodded, "Join Guild Leader Banette to get to Lugia. Go fast. Swampert will lead you to him."

Kenna looked at little Vex and motioned for him to hop back on. He did as he was ordered and climbed on the Charizard's back. Once more, Vex held on tight as she took flight to the sky and over the ocean. It was a little scary to being flying over the ocean. He didn't know what was out there nor did he know what the ocean was like. It was scary.

"Megas!" Banette called over her shoulder. She looked at the four Pokémon who were flying with her. (Team Skyfalls leader, Swellow and his team, Skarmory and Flygon. Megas- Garchomp, Aerodactyl, and Charizard. And Gyrados (who was in the water with Swampert.)) "We must make sure that Lugia will be safe – no matter what is wrong with her." She called out, floating on her back and staring at the Pokémon. She then turned around and began to float/fly normally.

Vex was a little worried now. He didn't realize that Lugia had been hurt in the sea! His mind was racing with questions. What happened? Was he going to be okay? Was there more Pokémon involved? He then looked ahead, over Kenna's head, and noticed a huge gray sky.

It was storming at sea.


	15. Chapter Fourteen - Lugia

**Chapter Fourteen**

 **Lugia**

(This is a much shorter chapter due to what is happening. Please, no hate.)

* * *

Vex's eyes grew wide and he stared at the sea just out before him. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The waves were going crazy and the winds were blowing strongly. Kenna was having quite the hard time keeping up and avoiding the waves down below her. She couldn't fly too high in fear of the lightning that may strike She flew low; doing many twists and turns as she got around the waves. Her gaze was fixed ahead, just like everyone else's. Vex could feel the aura of worry from this Charizard he was flying on. He knew she was scared and he could see the auras of others, he could see they were also scared. Even Banette was scared.

"Look there! It's an Island!" Kenna called out to Banette and the others.

Vex looked through the darkened sky that was roaring with anger. He was shivering from the cold air and the winds which were insane. It didn't help that some of the waves were lapping up toward them, drenching his fur.

Banette called out and motioned the groups toward the island. "GO, GO, GO!" She called, waving her warms. She then took a dive herself to go to the land. What could be causing such rage to the sea?

Kenna dove toward the island, trying to keep in a straight line and not get blown to the side. The powerful Charizard finally reached the island and landed roughly.

The rough landing caused Vex to slip and slide off onto the grass that sat on the island. He rolled and was stopped by a bush that was in his way. He poked his head through the bushes and made his way back over to Kenna and the others. He couldn't believe what was going on with the sea. It was so angry. He was staring at the ocean, watching the large wave's crash against each other. The storms picked up and lightning began to strike the ground worst.

"Storms like this are not common at all," Banette called through the raging winds. She was watching the angry sea in disbelief.

The Pokémon around her agreed.

"Lugia must be around here somewhere!" Vex called out. "If what they said about something being wrong with her is true, then we need to find her and do whatever!" He looked at the other Pokémon around him who sort of gave each other uneasy looks. The blue and black Pokémon then fell quiet and looked to the ground. "Just a suggestion," He whispered to himself.

"Vex is right!" Mega Garchomp roared through the winds. "We must find her now!"

"How are we supposed to find Lugia in these terrible winds?!" Kenna growled to him. "If any of us were to fly, we would most likely be taken down by the lightning!"

"I'd rather be struck down trying to help then struck down by not doing anything!" Garchomp yelled.

"Everyone stop!" Mega Banette called, frowning at the team around her. "You all have a point. The lightning may strike us down but we're going to have to try our best to find—"

The Pokémon was cut off by a loud, roaring sound. There was also a bright purple colored light that seemed to come out of nowhere.

"THERE! THERE SHE IS!" Banette called, pointing to the sky.

Vex stared up at the sky and the large and majestic white Pokémon who looked very much in pain. Every movement she made seemed uneven. It was as if one of her wings were more damaged than the other. He stared hard at the large Pokémon to see that one of her wings was brutally injured while the other one wasn't as bad. A gasp sounded from him and he began to bounce on his toes, pointing to her wing. However, when he opened his mouth no sound came out. He was too distracted and shocked by seeing Lugia and another ray of bright pink. His eyes grew wide with fear when a bright pink light seemed to hit Lugia directly, throwing her backwards. There was a string of light that shot across the sky in the direction Lugia was hit in.

Vex blinked before he was suddenly picked up by another Pokémon. Now, he was soaring through the sky on the back of Kenna. He held on tightly, trying his best to focus on the Pokémon fight. From the back of the Charizard, Vex could see Lugia crashing into the water. A huge splash formed, causing the waters to rage more. Lightning flashed here and there and Kenna did her best to avoid it. "What is going on?" He asked himself.

In the waters where Lugia crashed, a bright blue light began to form. It then began to move swiftly through the waters, trying to get away from the Pokémon who was attacking it. The bright blue light then popped out of the water and got even brighter. It then faded and Lugia was roaring loudly around her. She was saying something! She was yelling out something to her opponent. Vex couldn't hear it from there though. He then saw something moving quickly towards Lugia. "LOOK OUT LUGIA!" He called but Lugia had been struck again.

As soon as she had recovered, she began to float in the air. A yellow-orange ball forms and her body began to glow a light blue color. Then all Vex saw were multiple beams of yellow-orange. The winds began to pick up around them and he could feel them several miles away! The Aeroblast hit Lugia's opponent hard, causing it to crash into the ocean. Lugia dove after the Pokémon.

"We need to help Lugia out Banette!" Garchomp roared through the winds.

"What do you expect to do? It's not like we can damage either Pokémon much!" Banette snapped. "We can try, but if you're down…" She trailed off and began to fly in the direction of two bright figures in the water.

Kenna followed, dodging the lightning surrounding them as she did so.

Vex stared into the raging ocean below them, trying to pinpoint where Lugia and the other Pokémon were. Why would they be fighting and causing such a mess? There was no need for this! "There!" He called out as he saw the two glowing figures. Seeing a huge white circle thing in the water, he began to get curious as of what it was. He then noticed the white circle getting bigger, and bigger. By the time he and the other Pokémon realized what was about to happen, all of them were hit with the move. (Psystrike)

Kenna tried her not to get affected by the Psystrike, but when it hit her, she flew back. "Arggh! Hold…. On… VEX!" She groaned. She then suddenly flipped over and grabbed the little Riolu with her arms and held him close to her body. Her wings wrapped around them and they flew into the island and landed with a bang. Oh no.

 **BACK TO THE BATTLE…..**

Lugia tried her hardest to swim away from the Psystrike but couldn't outswim it. She was then struck through the water, calling out as best she could. She was thrown into an undersea cavern by the Psystrike. Dirt was kicked up and several pieces of coral broke. Everything around her was fuzzy and she realized she was outlined in a blue color. "N-no!" She tried to yell through the waters to her opponent. "I'm—not—letting—you—TAKE ME!" She roared, and outstretched her wings, feeling a sudden burst of energy. She grinned, in pain, at how shocked her enemy looked when she broke free of his Psychic. Both Pokémon once more swam to the surface and took flight in the air. For a few seconds, they just sort of floated there. They were both worn out but neither of them could go out for a reason. A psychic Pokémon versus another psychic Pokémon wasn't all that bad. Psychic moves weren't very effective to either of them. Their strength though was incredible.

Mewtwo stared in the direction of Lugia and she stared back.

"You will not get what you want, Mewtwo. I will not go down without a fight!" Lugia called out to him.

He just floated there. All of a sudden, he bowed his head and grinned a little. "You do not know of what I will get and what I will not." He telepathically spoke to Lugia.

Lugia growled and fired a blast of water in the direction of Mewtwo.

However, he avoided it by teleporting out of the way of the Hydro Pump.

Now annoyed by Mewtwo's game, her body began to orange a mysterious orange color. She then flapped her wings once, powerfully, and began to charge in the direction of Mewtwo. She was using Sky Attack. She was only a few inches away from Mewtwo when she was suddenly struck with a Thunder from another Pokémon.

She let out a cry of pain before falling to the water. The thunder was very powerful and super effective.

"Guess what I learned just before this… Terrible battle," A dark Pokémon laughed, "Thunder."  
Before she crashed into the water, Lugia was suddenly surrounded by a light blue aura. She had not fallen completely faint but she was too weak to do anything. Now, Mewtwo had her completely surrounded by his psychic. She tried to wiggle out of the psychic, but only felt more pain as she did so.

"You're late," Mewtwo muttered.

"Hey. I showed up, you took care of Lugia and I finished her," Darkrai grinned; his usual-all-the-time blue-eyes were a deep and dark red. Why were his eyes red? Because Eevee said so.

"Let's just go. We have everything we need," Mewtwo glared at Darkrai and then over to his captured opponent.

"And the riolu?" Darkrai demanded.

"What about him? He's useless now. We need the other two."

"Right. I will find Zero and bring him back."

"Right," Mewtwo replied and with that, he took off with the floating Lugia.


	16. Chapter Fifteen - Broken

**Chapter Fifteen**

 **Broken**

I can't believe it! I was going back to Cinccino's guild without a partner! I was so worried. What would they think of me _now?!_ Vex and I were such great friends and we both ruined it! What if the guild thought low of me? Or _lower?_ What would Cinccino and Ampharos think? I took a deep breath and made my way past the SimiStore and Ludicolo's Storage. I reached the square of the town and for once, it was quiet. Most of the Pokémon that usually showed up in the square were quietly making their way around town. It was very peaceful. After the fight I had with Vex, I just wanted to sit down and relax. I wanted to clear my mind. I needed to do something to distract me and doing these missions wasn't going to help much.

A deep sigh escaped me. When I reached the guild, I saw a Pokémon there. The Pokémon was constantly looking at the ground. Occasionally, she stepped forward but froze before she set foot on the gate. I frowned and watched her for a few seconds.

"I can't do it, Lightning! I just can't!" The small Pokémon whispered and shook her head. She glanced over her shoulder at a Pokémon who was sitting there, watching her.

"Yes you can," Lightning growled at her.

I stepped forward, approaching the electric Pokémon, Lightning, and the other Pokémon who was shaky. "Um," I whispered and gave them both an odd look.

"Who are you?" The electric Pokémon demanded, his eyes dark and daring.

I flattened my ears at how rude he was. Why would a Pokémon be so rude? I didn't even say anything but um! I was already upset with Vex and I didn't want to be greeted so rudely! "You don't have to be so rude about that!" I muttered, glaring at him.

"Oh shut up," The electric Pokémon rolled his eyes and turned to face the other Pokémon that was still nearing the gate. "Sage, what is wrong? I know you can step on that gate. Nothing will happen but a voice!" He sighed and shook his head.

"SHUT UP?!" I repeated, growling loudly. "Don't tell _me_ to shut up," I snapped. "You'll never get into the guild with an attitude like that," I muttered.

The Shinx shook his head and just glared at me. He then took a few steps forward to stand beside his partner – Or whatever. "Look. Just… Take a step so we can speak to Cinccino, okay?" He muttered to her.

The green-leaf Pokémon, a Chikorita, looked at him with wide eyes. "Fine Lightning," She murmured and stepped forward.

I shook my head and watched them before heading into the guild. Those two will never make a team with an attitude like that. I made my way down both flight of stairs and heard Beartic's voice booming throughout the guild. Drilbur's voice sounded as well. I sighed and made my way through the main room of the guild. I guess it was time to talk to Cinccino. I wasn't really looking forward to it though. She was going to be as upset as I am. Should I even tell her yet or should I wait?

My gaze scanned the clearing of the guild room and I frowned. No one was in the room. It was empty! Where were all the other Pokémon? I sat in the middle of the room and looked around. It wasn't like the guild to just disappear. Perhaps they already left on the expedition? No. It wasn't time yet. The moon wasn't full. Or was it? I have not had much of a look at it recently. It's been cloudy for the past few nights anyway. I looked around the room and some memories began to flood back into my mind. The day Vex and I joined the guild. The first time we saw the board and the missions… The first time we met Cinccino. And even our first mission together.

"Stop remembering!" I hissed to myself and tried to shake the memories clear. I lifted my head and looked toward the dining room. The light was on and I could hear quiet chatter. My belly growled all of a sudden and I swiftly ran to the room to get some food.

"And then, we caught the thief! She was all like, 'I can't believe you're doing this! Let me go!'" A voice laughed.

I stopped before I entered the dining hall. I heard the guild cheer when the voice finished its story. I noticed that most of the guild members were listening to two Pokémon, two large Pokémon. My eyes grew wide and I felt fear run through my body. Those two Pokémon… They were Dusk and Coal… They were…. _Evolved._ My ears fell flat and my tail was lowered. They were evolved? How did they evolve and when did they evolve? I want to evolve!

Coal looked at me and grinned widely. "Marcy! Nice of you to finally join us! We were just telling our story about evolving and catching the thief." He winked at me and then jumped off of the bench he was sitting. He trailed over to me and whispered quietly, "You look shocked. Come, come… Have a seat and listen to this… story!"

I blinked and felt my entire body tense up. They _captured_ the thief? They _were_ the thieves! How did they capture them if _they_ were they thieves? Unless… They betrayed Mismagius. Why would they do that though? Mismagius was their _leader!_ I couldn't believe what was happening. "But… But… Ma-Maggie?!" I gasped.

A wicked grin showed on Coal's face and he walked past me, his head raised in the air. "A tragic," He whispered and rolled his eyes. He then took his seat right back beside Dusk who waved at me. A small smile showed on his face and he looked back at the crowd.

"Anyway, as I was saying…. We captured the thief but it was one of the fiercest battles! A little fire here, some steel moves there…. We took the thief _down!_ " Dusk spoke, moving his arms as he did.

I tuned them out and stared at the plate of food sitting in front of me. "Oh this isn't good," I whispered and ate little food.

"What do you mean, this isn't good?" A voice sounded beside me.

I turned to see that I was seated beside Milotic. She was as pretty as ever but she looked very tired. "Um," I whispered and swallowed the little bite of food I took. "I'm talking about something else," I explained.

"Hrm… Where is Vex? I'm sure that little rascal is hungry! He's always hungry!" Milotic let out a soft chuckle and smiled at me. "You know what I mean?"

"Uh, sure, yeah. I don't know," I whispered. I didn't care where Vex was and I didn't want to talk about him. Instead, I avoided her question and took another bite of my food, closing my eyes. Why talk about the Pokémon who was abandoning his original guild? How did he expect to evolve anyway? He hardly did much battling in Cinccino's guild. How much battling was he going to do there?!

"You… Don't know?" Milotic asked sounding a little worried. She looked my direction with wide, dark eyes. "Is he hurt? Is he lost? Did something worst happen to him?" She asked repeatedly.

I felt my eye twitch some at the questions.

"Did you do something to him? Is he staying somewhere else? What happened, Marcy?!"

I growled and exploded at the Milotic, "Why would I do anything to him? You're an idiot to think I would even hurt him. ALL I KNOW IS HE LEFT TO GO JOIN BANETTE!" I was feeling cold-hearted at the moment, even to this gorgeous Milotic. But I never liked her anyway. She thinks she's all big and bad when she's nothing.

Everyone fell silent and began to stare at me. I instantly flattened my ears in embarrassment. My face became flustered and I was totally embarrassed. I cannot believe I _just_ did that. I cannot believe I just yelled at a higher ranked guild member! Whatever though. They can hate me all they want. Hrmph.

"Left?" I heard Cinccino speak from the other side of the room. "He… _Left_?"

I looked around the room. Everyone was staring at me with confused looks. Some of the guild members even looked upset that I had gone off like that. Some of them looked worried. I then looked to Cinccino who looked very saddened by the news I had just blurted out. "Erm, yes," I told her quietly. She was disappointed in me, I knew it. I could just feel it.

Ampharos spoke up, "It's not like a guild member to just up and leave without saying anything." He raised his yellow paw to his chest and looked at Cinccino. He whispered something to her and she nodded constantly.

Cinccino stood up on the bench and shook her head. Jumping off, she began to leave the room. "Marcy, let's go." She ordered.

I sat on the bench for a few seconds before gulping. I was about to get yelled at, wasn't I? I then trailed out of the dining room and after Cinccino. My ears were still plastered to my head and I was still nervous – and pissed – at the same time.

"Marcy. Why did he leave?" Cinccino asked before we even reached her chamber.

I sighed and shrugged. "I don't know, but it's whatever," I muttered.

"Did something happen between you two?" She asked.

I shrugged again and rolled my eyes while she continued to walk in front of me. I didn't want to talk about how he nearly attacked me at the hall. I was surprised she didn't hear about that yet. Surely the café sent her a letter saying, 'pay for these destructions!'

"I don't care anymore. He's off training with the other Megas. He wants to become a Mega Pokémon." I explained. I completely bit my tongue about him attacking me though. I didn't need her to worry.

"A Mega, hrm?" Cinccino echoed as she opened the door that lead into her room/office area. She walked into the room and shut the door behind us. Then, she took her seat at her desk and motioned me to sit down. "That's wonderful! Spirit Tower has not had much contact with Riolu's' or Lucario's. I think this might be a great opportunity for him and a great benefit to the guild!" She smiled widely and looked out the large window behind her desk.

I glanced at her and sat down in the chair on the other side of her desk. How could she even think that? Maybe she had a point. I haven't seen other riolu's before.

"It's been almost over six moons (months) since a Riolu had shown up to the guild. It's rather strange, too," Cinccino explained and turned back around. A soft sigh escaped her as she placed her hands together and looked at me. "You should be happy for your friend. He's trained hard lately in the guild and has done a lot to help us out – even before he joined the guild. He was like the guilds…" She paused for a moment to think of a word, "…Secret Pokémon who helped before anyone else. However, he never had the guts to join us."

I nodded and continued to listen to her. I didn't have much to say, nor did I really care at the moment.

"Finally, when you stepped into the picture and showed up into the Pokémon world, he changed. He was courageous and could do things that he never could," A soft giggle escaped the Cinccino as she smiled widely. "You had really changed him, Marcy."

"Yeah, I realized that." I muttered, looking away.

"But," She let out a soft sigh and stared down at her hands. "I have sad news for you, Marcy."

My head jolted up and I stared at her. Sad news? Oh no, this wasn't good.

"In order to be a member of the guild, you must have a team. You can't go on your own," She whispered and her eyes closed.

I stared at her and I could feel the tears beginning to form. I closed my eyes tight and clenched my teeth. I couldn't believe that! You had to have a team to be a part of the guild?! No one ever told me that! What was I going to do? I was terrified. I needed the guild. They had the answers for everything.

"I apologize, Marcy. But unless you can find a new partner, you can't be a part of the guild," Cinccino whispered and frowned at me. "I will give you until the night of the full Moon – the day we leave for the expedition. Until then, you may stay here or find another place to stay. But, I highly advise you to find something else to do in the meantime. Perhaps go around town asking about your human self and if anyone knew anything about it. Perhaps visit the library or go back too Elder Stoutland. You won't be able to do too much with missions." She trailed off and turned around to stare out the window.

I was basically just kicked out of the guild. I couldn't believe this. I was going to be kicked out of the guild and I was still a human trapped in a Pokémon's body! I needed the answers as to of why I was here in this world. How dare she try to even remove me? I joined this guild for a good cause. Why couldn't she just place me with another team? I raised my head and gazed at her and spoke, "But Cinccino… I need the answers – I need the answers to why I'm an Eevee and not a human!"

"I cannot help you with that. I already told you I knew nothing of it. Please leave my chamber," Cinccino dismissed me with a wave of her hand.

I just stared at her and anger rose inside me again. "A guild leader who cannot help her guild explorer. That's wonderful," I muttered and turned away. I could feel the tears forming and I began to sniffle. I jumped out of the chair and the door opened behind me. Ampharos walked in and I ran out, straight to my assigned room. I lay down in my nest and began to cry quietly.

"This isn't happening! It can't happen. I—I wouldn't know what to do without the guild," I cried to the darkness surrounding me. I was going to be kicked out of the guild just because _Vex_ left! This was his entire fault that this was going to happen! He could have at least told me what would happen if one of us left. I was going to be kicked out into the open – into the cold! I was going to be left in the snow alone to die because I was a freaking Eevee! I am a Pokémon now! I wish I was back at home, not having to deal with any of this mess! Why did I have to be a part of this in the first place? Why couldn't this Eevee be someone else? I hated this. I hated all of this. This is all Vex's fault.

"Marcy?" A voice whispered quietly.

I looked up but my tears blinded me. The figure I saw in the narrow tunnel to the room was blurry. "Go away!" I cried to the figure and buried my head back into my paws. Not only did I embarrass myself in front of the entire guild, but now this Pokémon was seeing me cry.

"Hey… Calm down," The voice sighed.

"Leave me alone!" I whimpered.

"Well. I was going to offer you something, but I guess not."  
I wiped away the tears with my paws and looked back over my shoulder at the figure. It was Flare. I gasped and turned away from him. He was going to see me at my worst.

"At least you looked," He rolled his eyes and sat beside me.

"What do you want, Flare?" I muttered into my furry chest.

"I just came to check on you. Sorry, I have nothing to offer. Heh," He let out a soft chuckle and poked my shoulder. "Get up, you look like a mess. Stop overreacting about things!"

He wouldn't understand! He wasn't about to get kicked out of the guild this upcoming full moon! I didn't even want to deal with him or any other guild member. No one could cheer me up nor change my mind with anything.

"Marcy! Marcy! Marcccccy!" Litwick cheered as she entered the room. She stopped in front of me and did a little twirl. "Pleaseee, cheer up! What happened? Are you going to be okay? Do I need to kick some butt?!" She began to punch the air with her little wick arms.

It's wonderful… Now the freak Litwick is here who knows everything about me. I'm sure she's done told Flare everything. However, when I gazed up at her I couldn't help but actually smiled a little at the way Litwick tried to punch the air. However, it didn't stop the crying. I just turned my head the other way and avoided their gazes. At least they were trying to cheer me up. My mood wasn't going to change very much though. I was still very upset with Vex and now I was saddened by Cinccino's message to me. I sniffled as I quietly spoke, "Unless I can find a new partner, I have to leave the guild."

Litwick floated to the floor and landed in front of me. She stared at me with her one eye and I could see the sadness that sat on her face. "Leave?" She whispered quietly.

I nodded and raised my head some. "Vex is gone. He's training with the Mega Pokémon for good," I whispered. "I don't know what to do."

Growlithe flattened one of his ears and tilted his head. "I've never heard that rule before," He commented. "It does make sense though. There's no 'I' in team!"

Litwick shot him an angry glare and growled, "THAT'S NOT HELPING!"

Growlithe grinned like ^-^' and backed up some. "Don't mind meee. I'm just a Growlithe trying to help!"

Litwick's cheeks poofed out and she put her hands on her hips. She then looked back down at me and I could hear the sympathy in the young Pokémon's voice. "Don't worry, Marcy. I'm sure you'll find a new partner soon! You're so incredibly sweet, and fun, and funny, and cute! I mean, look at you! You're so pretty!" Her purple flame grew a little bigger as she complimented me. "You're strong and fast and you're totes different!"

I felt my cheeks fluster with embarrassment. I had now stopped crying and I let out a little giggle. "Thank you, Litwick. But it's not that easy to just go up to someone and ask if they want to form a team… Vex found me and we had a little battle with some Pokémon," I explained to them. "Then he asked me to form a team." Memories flooded into my mind when I began to remember the first day Vex and I met. He was so cheery and positive! When we battled Dusk and Coal, he was a brave Pokémon. Or at least, he tried to be brave.

"Well," Flare spoke up and he smiled softly at me. "You'll find a new partner fast. Until then, you can do a little training with us! Team Blaze!"

I looked up at Flare. He was being so generous and so was Litwick. I smiled some and nodded, "Thank you very much. Both of you." I sat up and wrapped my fluffy tail around my paws. They were just going to take me in like that? I knew they were both very, very busy and had a bunch to do. What if I was just going to slow them down? I could use a little more training though. I needed to get ready for the expedition, if I was even going to get in on that. If I didn't find a new team member, I won't be able to go…

"Our pleasure!" They both replied to me.

They left my room and I smiled softly to myself. I wonder if those two even care about me. Flicker only wanted to be my friend because she knew I was human but I have nothing to even prove that. I only have that one memory but that shows nothing. Who knows, it could've just been a dream. The two didn't seem to know anything about being a human. Flare probably thought I was insane. I sighed and waited awhile so the guild could settle down. After my enragement, I wanted nothing more but to hide myself. I felt so broken and confused.

"Then the deed is done?"

"The deed is done," A voice replied. "We may be able to get Marcy now," A small voice snickered. "She'll be desperate. She knows she is to be removed from the guild and she'll be to join us. She'll be lost."

"And how do you know this?" The other voice demanded.

A small figure shrugged through the shadows and gazed up at the pokémon speaking to him. "Trust me. She'll join us. We'll make our move shortly." The fire pokémon told his master who was still hiding from everything. The only thing that could be seen was his dark, ambitious eyes glowing in the darkness.

"You best not fail me again, Coal."

"Of course not," The fire pokémon replied with a dip of his head. "I have all I need."


	17. Chapter Sixteen - The Darkness

**Chapter 16**

 **The Darkness**

 ** _(This takes place a day ½ after the large storm with Lugia and Mewtwo and Darkrai. So. Yeah._** ** _)_**

I was awake, staring out the window of my little room in Cinccino's Guild. Outside, the moon shone brightly and everything had calmed down. It's been a few days since the breakup between Vex and I but within those few days I have been training alongside Flare and Flicker. I've been so excited to train beside them – to learn things that I have never learned before. I've even learned certain moves and about TM's! I've learned a lot more with them than I have with Vex. However, every time I saw one of them smile I thought of him. I thought of the way how he would cheer me up and encourage me. I truly did miss Vex, just a little. He was my first friend in this Pokémon world. He was the first one to truly understand me. A part of me wanted to say I was sorry to him, but a part of me knew it was wrong. I haven't seen him since the day we both walked out on one another but with his training at the Mega Guild, I'm sure everything is going perfectly fine. I'm sure he's already met a new friend and has a new team! Who was I to take it away from him? Maybe I was just to forget about that fun, energetic Riolu.

I was just hurt… So much. I had no explanation for the way he acted. Even Cinccino thought it was strange. I couldn't ask Zero because I had no idea where he went. I… Actually wanted to see that Gallade and talk to him. He seems to know a lot. I was curious. I wanted to know who I was. Deep down, I knew that Gallade knew something. The way he would talk about me and to me, he was hiding something. I just have no idea what he was hiding. I wanted to see Zero.

I glanced over at the empty nest and frowned when I remembered seeing how happy he was the first day we were brought into the guild. The other day, Vex apparently came by Cinccino's guild to pick up a few things he had left – including his 'treasure.' I wasn't here to see him. Instead I was out training with Flare and Flicker. I admit that it would have been nice to see him and ask about his training. Maybe ask what overcame him the other night of our fight. Though, I'm sure he was still ticked off at me for whatever reason. Hrmph. I didn't care though. He annoyed me and threatened me. He threatened me. I was still hurt and confused about that…

Cinccino did see two Pokémon the other night when there was a huge battle against Lugia. I couldn't believe that there was even a fight between Lugia and another pokémon. It surprised me. No one knew why they were battling… Perhaps the guild in Moonlight Town would know what went down. Cinccino also said she couldn't remember who was fighting Lugia on account of a huge blast knocking her out. Maybe she was just seeing things. It got pretty rough out in the seas! I remember listening to Team Skyfall talk about the epic battle between Lugia and two other Pokémon. They said something about a Pokémon named Mewtwo. The only thing I knew about Mewtwo was that he was also another Legendary. I remember that Team Skyfall's leader, Swellow, was saying all these strange things about Lugia. I somewhat remembered that she was brutally injured and she disappeared the night after the battle. Team Aqua said they searched all over the seas looking for Lugia but had not seen her. Even Team Skyfall and some of the Megas from Banette's Guild went looking for her! They say there was no sign of her. Maybe she went into major hiding after the fight. No one knows what happened to her afterwards.

I sighed and got up from my nest. Quickly, I scrambled out of the guild and into the open. It hasn't been as snowy lately, just very windy and cold. The snow on the ground has yet to melt too! It was like it was stuck there – waiting for everything to freeze over. The town had become quieter lately and little activity went on during the day. Most Pokémon were either at home or staying at the new Café Inn in town. That's where I would go! That's where I could go to clear my mind up! I made my way down the stairs that lead to the guild building and out down the path that took me to town. The paths throughout town were a bit slippery and covered in ice. The weather was cold and I could feel the wind creep through my fur and down into my bones. It was definitely a chilly night.

I stopped in front of the café and frowned. Maybe it wouldn't clear my mind… Vex and I did have the fight here. I slowly walked inside and gazed around. There was still a hole in the wall, well… Half a hole. He didn't really break the wall but he wanted to. He kind of just punched it. I flattened my ears in embarrassment. I couldn't believe this. It hurt seeing this all. This is where Vex and I just stopped talking to each other and it hurt so badly. I missed Vex but I was scared of him. The look in his eyes was something I've never seen before. He had hatred burning in his eyes and every time I could even imagine them… It sent shivers down my back.

Perhaps a nice cup of hot chocolate or something would distract me! I pushed my way through the café, feeling embarrassed to even show up. The café owner knew that I had caused nothing. Floatzel was a very respectful pokémon and he says other pokémon try to pick fights here all the time. He also said it wasn't the first time this kind of thing has happened. At least, that's what Guild Master Cinccino told me. I could definitely use that hot chocolate or something by a lot. I'm hoping the peacefulness and serene of the area will calm me down. It definitely smelled friendly and gave off a warming sensation. I even forced a small smile as I noticed a lonely table at the other end of the café. Several Pokémon were inside, talking quietly. There weren't as many Pokémon out tonight as there usually is but it was still nice to see some new faces. I made my way to the table and sat down peacefully. A corner in the store was quiet and perfect to clear my head and do some thinking. A female Meowstic came in my direction and smiled some.

I didn't quite want the interaction, but since I forced myself to come out of the guild…. Ugh, I didn't want this.

"Hello there!" She greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"Something nice and warm… And delicious please! Anything you've got to distract one confused Eevee," I replied with a forced smile. If the white and blue Pokémon was going to be nice to me, I had to be nice. I've already shown disrespect the other day in the café.

She nodded and threw a towel over her shoulder and gently sat down a glass. "Coming right up!" The Meowstic turned away and disappeared to make the drink.

I made myself more comfortable in the seat I was sitting in and took a deep breath. My brain swirled back to the other night with Vex. I tried to clear my head but every time I looked around this café, it just came swirling back to me. It hurt. 'Forget about being on a team.' The word 'stupid' kept popping in my mind. Surely he didn't really think I was stupid? I mean, I know I'm human. There's a reason for that too. I know there is…

I sighed. What's the point? I had no proof that I was even remotely close to a human. But I've never seen this world before or heard of talking pokémon. I remember, I was young with long hair and my name. I remember those few details. But there was something else. Zero was familiar too. Maybe he's a human too? No. He couldn't be. Maybe I was alone here. I wasn't too sure anymore.

"Are you Marcy?" A young voice sounded from behind me.

I jumped, my fur fluffing up like no tomorrow. I flattened my ears in embarrassment and turned around to see a very small pokémon hiding. It was hiding in the corner of the café, watching me with wide and curious eyes. "I'm Marcy," I replied to the small pokémon.

"SHH! They'll see me," The pokémon flashed me a huge smile and then tilted his head. "My name is Spheal, and I'm a Spheal!"

"Spheal?" I echoed softly and frowned at him. "Why are you hiding?"

"Because they'll see me. Especially her, and I don't want her too. She's always pointing and making fun of me," He murmured softly. "BUT! I'm not here to talk to girls. I mean, I'm talking to you but still!" He shook his head rapidly and then looked up at me with his round face. "Anyway, I have an important message for you…" He trailed off as his gaze rested on a young female pokémon who was dancing in the middle of the room with a huge smile on her face.

"Spheal?" I muttered, poking him.

"OH RIGHT! Uh, anyway. I'm a friend of a very important pokémon and She wishes to speak to you," He smiled. "Here. On the night of the full moon, the night you are kicked from the guild is when She wishes to speak to you." The small pokémon nudged a piece of paper towards me and I picked it up gently with my paw, best I could. I mainly used my claws.

"Put it away! Put it away!" He gasped, glancing away from me and off into the distance. I quickly stuffed the paper in my bag right in time of a voice.

"Marcy?" A voice sounded beside me.

I jumped nearly out of my seat. My fur fluffed up and I glanced over quickly to see who was beside me now. He was standing tall and looking at me with an awkward look.

"Err. Greetings Zero," I said quietly.

Zero gave me an odd look but replied to me anyway, "What are you doing up so late? You should be asleep! Especially in this kind of weather!" He scolded me.

I flattened my ears and gave him a look. "You can't tell me what to do," I huffed, turning my back to him.

"Marcy… Honestly, you should really be back at the guild." He replied.

"Why should I? It doesn't matter anyway. I'll probably be living out in the cold come Full Moon," I growled quietly. I didn't mean to have an attitude, it was late and I was tired and annoyed as heck. Deep down inside me though, I was kind of glad to Zero. Then again, I wasn't.

"Living in the cold?" Zero echoed, frowning slightly. "What do you mean?" His voice was soft and full of concern.

"Yeah…" I replied with a groan. "Cinccino said if I can't find a new partner, I won't be allowed in the guild."

Zero dropped his head in his hands, propping his head up on his elbow. "Well, that's no good. Have any luck?"

"No," I sighed softly. "I wasn't really close to anyone but Vex," I told him and shook my head, glancing away. "However, it shouldn't concern you."

"Your drink," Meowstic cheered happily as she sat down a bowl of whatever in front of me.

I smiled at her and paid her for the drink. It probably wasn't the best idea to go and spend money on a small drink like this. But whatever. I needed it. (NO! It's not alcohol. XD)

"Thank you," I called as she walked away. It was kind of quiet in the room beside the little chatter that sounded around me and the music that was playing. The few dancing in the middle weren't too loud either. However, I didn't like the quiet. So, I used the advantage to spin some in Gallade's direction. I awkwardly asked, "How's Vex doing?" I wanted to know about Vex, even if he was no longer my friend. Deep down, I missed him and I still care for him. I will always care for him too. He was my best friend.

Gallade seemed to tense up a bit and he looked as though he gripped his cup a little tighter. He then slowly turned his head to face me and I read sadness from him. "He's… Fine," He replied quietly.

"You're lying," I quickly accused him. The look on his face – I've seen it somewhere before. I knew he was lying. Not only did his reactions show it but his voice hinted it as well. It was quiet and a little uneasy. He was hiding something. I gave him a sharp look.

A sigh escaped him and he let go off his drink. He turned my direction some and stared at the counter. "He's okay but he's not okay. The other night, apparently Guild Master Banette and Absol let Vex go with them to see what was wrong with Lugia," He explained and turned away from me. "He got a little injured but he should be in training again. And he's still acting weird."

My attitude-toned-voice completely changed as I felt my heart drop a little. He was hurt? VEX WAS HURT? "You mean to tell me that Banette and Absol let a Pokémon _his_ age go and see a legendary battle?! WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENED?!" I exploded. I felt my eyes grow wide with fear. Anything could have happened… Vex was still young – like me – and anything could have happened. He could have been lost at sea forever, frozen, or whatever. Ugh. I shook my head and looked away from him. "It was his choice. Maybe if he did get hurt, it would have knocked him out of his trance."

Zero didn't react to my loud tone; instead he smiled just a little. "Looks like you still care," He teased me.

"No, No, No!" I closed my eyes tightly and shook my head. I could feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment. I cared for Vex and his safety, but I cared for all Pokémon and their safety as well. "I care for all Pokémon," I replied, sticking my nose up in the air and my back to Zero. "All pokémon are equal."

"Do you, Marcy?" Zero replied, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. He was still grinning some. "So if I got hurt, you would care?" He asked.

"DUH!" I replied, glancing at him with my muzzle still up in the air. I then spun my chair to face him. "I am a very caring Pokémon." I replied.

He just nodded slowly and frowned a little. His sad gaze returned to him.

I suddenly felt a little sorry for this guy. He looked so innocent and I haven't seen a warrant for his arrest lately. Perhaps it was a different Gallade that day I saw that piece of paper with him on it? But it couldn't be. He had the same markings on his blades and his horn. (The red thingy is a darker color and the tips of his blades/arms are a darker color, like I've said before. XD) Perhaps Gallade confessed to his crimes and paid for them or something? I wasn't sure. Not many of the Pokémon in the guild has spoken about him lately. "Zero," I whispered quietly, looking down into the drink that Meowstic brought to me. Maybe I've misjudged him.

He stayed silent.

"How did you know my name when we first met?" I asked him.

Zero sideways glanced at me and then looked away, "Uh. I heard Vex call you Marcy."

"Did you?"

He quickly nodded.

I didn't believe him. He seemed to be following me the first day we met him back in the forest with Darkrai. It bothered me to see that I had to witness Zero attack him but I was more confused to why he was so interested in me. I turned in my seat slowly to look at him with dark eyes. "How do you know my name?" I demanded.

Zero didn't gaze at me, didn't say nothing. Sat there in silence. Then a smile appeared on his face. "You're special," He whispered softly.

I felt my cheeks light up with heat. What did he say? I was special? I cleared my throat and then sat up straight, licking my chest to avoid the embarrassment I felt.

Zero gently rested one of his bladed hands on my head and forced me to look up at him.

I pulled away and coughed, "Uh. Anyway. There must be another reason you know my name."

Zero shook his head and leaned back, arms resting behind his head. "No," He told me with a soft shrug.

"You know something, Zero," I murmured quietly. "There's something about you. Something that seems so familiar. I don't know if it's your name or if it's you. But there's something about you that I remember from somewhere."

He gazed at me and sat up straight and asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean," I then sat up straight myself and looked up at him slowly. "I know you from somewhere," I told him straight to his face. "I don't know where, but I know you."

"That's interesting," Zero replied, giving me an odd look. "I thought your name was a little familiar but I couldn't remember too much. Haha. Maybe we grew up together when we were hatchlings!" He gave a fake smile and I could see that something was hiding in his gaze.

Curious, I wanted to question him but I didn't. I could just be crazy. "Possibly," I replied quietly.

"Was Vex okay the other day?" I asked Zero softly, looking down into my drink.

Zero didn't reply. However, I could feel his presence get a little uneven. I knew he was hiding something. I know for a fact that Vex wasn't Vex the other day he screamed and hollered at me. Something was wrong with him. I wanted to know what and I feel like Zero knows what's going on.

He looked to me and then just gave me a cold glare and I flattened my ears. "You seriously have no idea who Darkrai really is, do you Marcy?" Zero asked me.

I only knew a little, and Darkrai wasn't one of the pokémon I had much knowledge on. In fact, I knew little about him. I knew he was a legendary dark type, which makes me wonder. Maybe he's a dark pokémon, and not as nice as he claims to be.

"The day I 'attacked' Darkrai was the day I met you and the day I saved your life," Zero told me with a grunt.

"Saved my life?" I echoed, now full of curious. "What do you mean by that?"

Zero sighed and shook his head, chuckling a bit. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. What do you mean by that?"

"Marcy, why do you think Darkrai, the legendary dark pokémon, was just about and about, nearly at the same spot you were?"

"To go for an evening walk?"

He gave the most, what the hell, kind of look. The green and white pokémon sat straight up and threw his bladed arms behind his back, gazing up at the roof now.

"Darkrai isn't a nice pokémon, Marcy. Do you know what Darkrai even does?"

I shook my head, staring into the drink. "I don't know much about any Pokémon, Zero. I'm not from this world." I spoke so quiet; I thought he couldn't hear me. What if he begins to question me? What if he thought I was crazy for saying that? It just slipped though. I was embarrassed.

"What?" Zero asked softly, dropping his arms onto the table and nearly spilling my drink.

"Nothing, I shouldn't have said anything." I jumped down from the chair and began to head to the door of the café.

"Marcy?" Zero called and followed me out of the building and into the snow.

I ignored him. I didn't want to be bombarded with questions. I was tired, agitated, and I was feeling so terrible. I knew he was going to continuously ask me questions until I answered him though. Why would another pokémon be so curious about me being from another world. I was embarrassed because I didn't know who or what Darkrai was. All I knew was he was a dark type. I knew that Vex was angry with me and now I know that Zero has been kind of stalking me. Oh, it's turning into a _lovely_ day.

"MARCY STOP!" Zero demanded.

I froze in place and lowered my gaze. I didn't glance back to Gallade and say anything – just stood there.

I could feel him drop to the ground and raise his hands, gently resting them on my shoulders. I stood there, tears beginning to form as this pokémon grabbed me by my shoulders. He forced to spin around and he stared into my eyes. I wanted to look away but I couldn't. Something was relaxing about his touch and his gaze. It felt so familiar.

"Marcy… Will you listen to me for a few minutes? Please?" He pleaded. He sounded so serious and desperate.

I just nodded slowly.

The mega-evolved Gallade in front of me just looked so joyed at the fact I gave him the chance to talk. I didn't want to hear from him. I wanted to be left alone… Yet, his presence was reassuring.

"Listen to me Marcy, very carefully," He said, still sitting on his knees and grasping my shoulders with his hands. "You're her. You're the one I came to this world looking for. You're Marceline…"

I looked up at him and searched his eyes. I pulled away from him and just shook my head. "What do you mean, Zero?" I demanded. He was crazy – utterly insane. What was he even talking about? I'm the one he was looking for? I then just realized that he said he _came_ to this world. He CAME to this world. How was that even possible? Was he human too?! Oh my gosh. If he was, that would be some news! I would be so excited to know that there was another human here who had been transformed into a Pokémon. I didn't know what to feel. I was confused yet I felt a little happy. I didn't know what to say.

"My mind is blurry… But I was sent here on a mission, they told me to find you," He spoke softly.

"Who is they?" I asked quietly. "Are you human too?!" I blurted out and instantly bit my tongue.

Zero chuckled some and shook his head. "No. But Marcy. I remember your name and that was it. They told me to find you… I don't know who they are, I'm sorry."

I stared at him, searching his eyes for any lie that he may be hiding. He looked all out serious.

"I don't know what to say, but… You're her. You were my human." He whispered quietly and frowned. "I need to take you home, now."

I blinked. What? I tried to pull away from the Gallade but he pulled me into a hug and I could feel something wet on my shoulders now. I could hear his breathing pattern change. He was…. Crying? I tried to wiggle out of his grip but I couldn't move. He was too powerful. But everything just swirled in my mind. I couldn't figure out what was happening. Zero said he knew me. That I was his human and that I was sent to this world, only for him to retrieve me. How did I even get here and what am I here for? I was so confused! I began to tear up again, breathing and crying into the frigid air. What was happening.

"No… I don't remember you, Zero," I told him. "I remember your name, but I know nothing about you," I said through my tears, trying to still struggle and pull away from him. Was he trying to completely change my mind about him? Was he trying to convince me that I knew him from somewhere? All I knew about this Zero was that he had been following Vex and I for some time. The only thing I know about him is that his name is familiar… Now I knew he wasn't from this world either.

Zero gently pulled back from me, "I can't believe it… After all this time. I have been here for so long. After I heard from a messenger that a strange eevee showed in this town and from Mega Banette that you were… Different, I had to see you. I had to see if you were her. And you are," The pokémon told me with the biggest smile I've ever seen.

I shook my head and took this chance to completely get away from him. I tumbled backwards, into the snow and sat there. "How can I believe you?" I asked him, my tears beginning to disappear.

"You don't have to because once I take you home, you won't remember anything," Zero explained, resting his fist on his knees. "You need to come with me before things get worst here."

"Worst?" I questioned him, raising an eyebrow.

"This world…. It's not fit for you, Marcy," He explained to me. "There are bad pokémon here who know who you are and what you are. They want to take you and use you for their own good."

I listened to his words, not sure what to believe. Part of me wanted to side with Vex thinking that Zero was a bad pokémon. The other part of me what to believe Zero. I was so confused.

He frowned and looked down. "I'm not sure, Marcy. But hear me out," Now he changed the subject. "Darkrai isn't who he appears to be. He isn't a good guy. He's a terrible Pokémon, Marcy. In fact, Darkrai knows who you are and he wants to capture you. You have something within you, a certain power, that he wants to harvest from you…. He knows you're human. And he knows you can be more powerful than legendaries themselves because of your power… He can use you to destroy this world. And not only you… But he knows Vex has something. I'm not sure what, but he needs both of you, alive. You need to leave this world Marcy."

* * *

(Changing it to Vex)

The small blue and black Pokémon known as Vex was outside on the battle field. He was training – making up for lost time. The day he went with the rest of the guild to find Lugia was nearly a day and a half ago. He wasn't able to train at all with any of the other Pokémon. The day he went to find Lugia, he was sent by Absol and to go with a Charizard named Kenna. Lugia was in so much danger that day. She was battling two other Pokémon and Vex only remembered seeing a large purple and pink Pokémon. While in recovery, he heard that the Pokémon was known as Mewtwo – an evil psychic Pokémon. But was he really evil or was he just battling with Lugia just to do it? Vex wasn't very sure about it. He was a little shocked to have even experienced something. That day the waves were huge and the skies were black with clouds and lightning. Thunder roared across the sky and the lightning flashed twice as fast! It was a terrible thing to watch. In the end, all of the Pokémon there were knocked back by a very powerful move of Mewtwo. He learned it was a move known as Psystrike. It was very powerful against Pokémon their sizes. In the end, Kenna and he were knocked out of the sky and they had to land with drastic measures. Kenna saved Vex by wrapping her wings around his small body and sheltering him from the impact… In the very end? Kenna died… Just kidding. She broke her wing, and her foot. XD Sorry guys! 3

Outside in the cold, Vex was practicing his fighting techniques. He was practicing several moves against practice dummies and targets. He even punched at a few punching bags. The cold didn't bother him one bit; in fact, it inspired him to train faster.

In the distance, Absol was watching. His dark gaze seemed to be fixed on the smaller Pokémon. He was a little impressed by the strength that Vex had built up in the past few days at the mega guild.

"Go train him, Absol. He's not going to get better by hitting and kicking targets. See if you can get him to unleash his full power for once." Houndoom spoke, glaring at the Pokémon.

"Why must I?" Absol demanded. He didn't want to train him at all.

"Because, you said you were in charge of him so. Hah. Now go!" The fire/dark Pokémon growled and left the area.

Absol sighed and walked through some bushes. He stopped behind Vex and sat down on the battle field that was there. He watched him.

Vex could feel another Pokémon's presence around him. He could feel the emotion coming from him. Quickly, he turned to see a Pokémon watching him. (He didn't know who it was) Then, Riolu ran toward the Pokémon and his palm began to glow.

Absol leaped quickly out of the way and landed delicately on the rock that he sat on to judge fights. He raised an eyebrow at Vex who was now leaning forward with his arm outstretched. "You're not a very quick Pokémon, Vex," He commented.

He grinned up at the Pokémon who sat on the rock. "Just tired, that's all." He replied, still breathing heavily. Vex was tired but that was no excuse for not being swift. He was usually very swift and light on his feet. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I've been here, Vex. Have you not noticed me here? You aren't the brightest Riolu if you didn't feel my presence earlier. Are you not a master of Aura?" Absol asked, now standing tall on his feet. His gaze was cold and directed toward Vex.

"I am a Master of Aura!" Vex called up to him, feeling a little hurt that Absol would even say that! _Isn't he supposed to be nice?_

"Then what am I feeling now?" Absol demanded, jumping off the rock and approaching the Riolu. He over towered the Pokémon and glared down at him. The white Pokémon was so much taller than him and in his mega form, he looked even bigger!

Vex stayed silent, avoiding Absol's gaze.

"Speechless? How about a little training battle, Vex? Perhaps you will learn a few things." Absol grinned and stepped away from the Riolu who looked very saddened.

"Fine," Vex replied and glared at the Pokémon who was making a mockery of him. He never knew about his Aura Powers. Well, he did but he only knew a little about it. He could never use them because he didn't know what they were for or how to even summon the power. It was sad, actually.

"Since I challenged you, you start us off," Absol called from the other side of the battle field.

"With pleasure," Replied Vex. Within a few seconds, he darted quickly off to Absol. He was trying his best to stay light on his feet and move with agility. When he neared Absol, who just sat there, he brought his hand back and it began to glow. Just as he was about to strike Absol, the white Pokémon jumped into the air and Vex used Force Palm on a rock. It hurt him a little.

"Slow," Absol remarked and landed behind him, gracefully. Out of nowhere, copies of Absol surrounded Vex. They all jumped into the air at the same time. All horns of the Absol began to glow a dark purple color as he struck Vex with Night slash.

Vex was so shocked to see all the copies of Absol and was too late to move out of the way of Absol's night slash. He knew that dark type moves weren't very effective against him but the strength of Absol was incredible! The only thing he could do was put of his arms to defend himself of the move. It helped a little, but he slid back some. He glared at the single Absol now, who was standing in the middle of the battle field, watching him. Using quick attack, Vex began to charge at Absol, leaving a trail of a white glow substance behind him as he ran. He then crashed hard into the Absol. Instead of Absol flying back, he only skidded back a few feet.

A wicked grin showed on the dark-type Pokémon's face as his horn began to glow a mysterious purple color. He then ran up to Vex shook his head back and forth and multiple light blue rings of energy a came out and were aimed for Vex.

Vex's eyes grew wide. He then began to dodge the moves best he could and slash at the remaining blue rings of light with his palm. (Force Palming the Psycho Cut. XD) Then he was hit by one of the blue rings he missed. A gasped sounded from Vex as the light blue ring of light smashed him into the ground. A direct hit and it was super effective! He groaned in pain and tried to move. The damage was too much but he had to do the best he could with defeating Absol! He needed to prove himself worthy! The blue and black Pokémon stood up but fell repeatedly onto his knees and hands.

"Please don't tell me that's all you've got," Absol sighed, glaring at the Pokémon.

"N-No," He whispered. He then stood up on both his feet, completely injured and forced a smile. "I'm still standing."

Absol nodded slowly and shrugged. "Not for long, kid."

Vex growled at the word, 'kid.' He then tried his best to focus 100% on Absol. As he did, he put his hands together and a weak light blue orb of energy formed. He then aimed it directly at Absol who just watched him.

Absol knew his focus blast wasn't going to hit him. Vex was weak at the moment and he was distracted by trying to win other than by actually focusing on the battle.

Vex fired the large ball of Focus Blast and it completely missed.

Absol grinned at the ball of energy that hit Spirit Tower instead. He then opened his mouth and a dark purple and black ball formed. He then fired it at Vex.

Vex put his arms up to deflect the shadow ball. The thing was, he was too weak. Pyscho cut from a Pokémon Absol's size and age was too much. He wasn't as strong as the dark-type Pokémon. As the shadow ball hit him, Vex fell back down to his knees and hands, breathing heavily.

"You're weak, Vex," Absol muttered, approaching the Pokémon and stepped on him. "You could have so much but you threw it all away because you wanted to train here. How do you expect to live as a Lucario if you can't even summon your own Aura Power?! You know nothing about it, Vex. Do you even know about the powers of which Aura can hold?"

Vex continued to stay silent as he listened to Absol complain about him. How could Absol say such words to him? It was as if he had not a single drop of fate in him that he could do this! "I'm still learning," He whispered into the ground. He tried to move under the front right paw of Absol's but had no strength.

"You can't stand against a move that does little damage to you. You left your guild just because you had a little fight. You left your guild because you thought your friend was weak and you didn't want a weak partner. IS THAT IT?!" Absol snarled in his ears, getting closer and closer to the pokémon's smooshed head. "You're the weak one. You know nothing of the powers you can have. You don't know the strength of your own power but you don't apply yourself. You're too weak to realize what you are and what you can become, Vex. You are supposed to be a master of Aura. All I see is a weakling who knows nothing!"

"You're wrong," Vex whispered into the dirt.

"Am I? Or are you just thinking that? How can a dopy little Riolu like yourself contribute to so much training if you can't even use your aura powers?" Absol muttered.

"That's not true!" He coughed.

"Oh little Vex," Absol whispered. "I believe it's true. How long have you been training as a Riolu? For quite a while and you're _still_ a Riolu. Do you even know how to evolve into a Lucario? Battling is not the answer to become a Lucario – a master of Aura. You should be a Lucario after everything you have been through but nope. Still a weak Riolu," He hissed, leaning down to face him. The Absol suddenly flipped him over on his back and forced the pokémon to stare at him. He wicked grin showed on the Absol's face as his front right claw's dug into the chest of Vex, beginning to leave marks.

Vex groaned in pain, glaring at the Absol who had him pinned.

"If you had this much gut to join _our_ guild, you should be powerful. You should be unstoppable. You do realize that a fighting Pokémon has an advantage over a dark type, correct?" He paused for a moment and put more pressure down on Vex, forcing his claws into the pokémon's chest. "And your poor, poor friend… Marcy! To just leave your friend behind," He shook his head and made a 'tsk-tsk' noise. "You never leave a friend behind. I was surprised you did – leaving Marcy to the cold? Leaving her for Darkrai? You could have done so much more but you decided not to. You couldn't even get her to believe the truth! And then? You walked out on her."

"…." Vex clenched his teeth tighter as Absol spoke. But then he heard that name… That name… _THAT NAME_. Darkrai. "Wh-what do you mean, leaving her for Darkrai?" He hissed through his teeth.

Absol gasped and put his other paw up to his muzzle, "Oops. Did I say Darkrai?"

"What….. Do you mean, Absol! Answer me!" Vex growled, his eyes becoming darker with hate.

"Oh nothing," Absol snickered and raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you're the one who is too blind to realize anything."

"You tell me what he wants with Marcy, or I swear-." He was suddenly cut off and his eyes were now blood-red. "

"Tsk tsk, Absol…. Are you telling little Vex about our plan?" A voice whispered into the shadows of the dark. "Oh dear Absol, I thought we had a deal..." The voice whispered.

Absol's eyes grew wide and he gazed around the area but nothing came to his sight. "Who goes there?" He demanded, lifting his paw up from Vex.

"Oh dear Absol, why would you betray us…" The voice whispered in the dark.

"WHAT DOES DARKRAI WANT?!" Vex screamed, quickly jumping up on his feet and tackling the now distracted Absol.

"I swear, I didn't mean to!" Absol whispered. "Zero… That Gallade… Gallade wants Marcy," He said into the shadows surrounding him as Vex tackled him.

"If anything ever happens to her, I swear to Arceus I will kill you," Vex muttered, tackling the Absol to the ground and pinning him.

Absol was completely distracted by the voice that kept ringing in his ears. The white pokémon looked up at the sky to see a dark grin on a black pokemons face. "Please," He begged the pokémon. "Give me another chance," He whispered, ignoring the riolu that was pinning him.

"Tsk tsk," Darkrai whispered, wagging his fingers as his eyes lit up. "I guess I'll let you live… Besides, we wouldn't want Banette to find out…" A cold-hearted chuckle sounded from the dark pokémon floating above the two. He then faded.

"ABSOL ANSWER ME!" The pokémon with the blood-red eyes snarled at Absol. He was now throwing punches at the dark pokémon, enraged that he even brought up the fact that Marcy was in danger. But, as soon as Darkrai disappeared from Absol's sight, Vex's eyes returned to a normal color and he suddenly felt weaker…

Absol stared, horrified, at Vex as he tumbled off him. The dark pokémon watched in fear as the small riolu collapsed on the ground. "It's him. He's the darkness," He whispered to himself as Vex fainted.


	18. Chapter Seventeen - Team Pitch

**Chapter 17**

 **Team Pitch**

Absol was lying on the ground, watching the small Pokémon evolve. A soft grin appeared and he stood up slowly. His gaze rested on him and he nodded. He did his job, to train Vex and have him evolve. Hopefully he realizes that he evolved only because of his friendship. That's how all Riolu's evolve – realizing their friendship and how close they are to another Pokémon. It was obvious he still cares about his friend, Marcy, and maybe he'll notice that leaving her behind was most likely the stupidest mistake ever.

Vex evolved. Yeah. Just like that! The blue faded from him and now he was taller. He grew a spike on his chest and on the back of forepaws. His torso was now a cream-color and blue fur on his thighs that looked like shorts. He even developed four, small black appendages on the back of his head… He was definitely different. He knew he had evolved and now he was glaring coldly at Absol.

Absol said nothing, just shook his head. This was his plan the entire time – to force Vex to evolve. Not exactly force, but he wanted him to evolve.

"The battle is over," He said in a much deeper voice. (*FANGIRL SCREAM!* Lol jk. But I love Lucario's. )

Absol tossed the newly-evolved Pokémon a look before shaking his head. "The battle may be, but you still have a lot to learn. You need to learn about your Aura powers…" He trailed off and turned away from the Lucario. He then walked back to Spirit Tower – more like limped back.

Vex watched him walk away and he grunted quietly to himself. He raised his hands a little and examined them, turning them in different directions. He was finally a Lucario but he was a little saddened. How did he evolve? All he knew was that Absol had made him angry when he was talking about him and Marcy… It hurt him a little – pained him to think that Absol would even bring her up. She was in the past, but Vex couldn't help but think about her. She was his first partner, right? They had a team together and they both blew it because of a little fight. A little fight that was pointless. So what if he didn't believe her? A sigh escaped him as he raised his long muzzle to the sky that was getting brighter from the morning sun. He had stayed up all night just to train… But he didn't even feel tired at all. The Pokémon began to walk away from Spirit Tower – toward Moonlight Town. Maybe he should find Marcy. Just to see how she is.

The sun was coming up and I was in my guild room, staring out the window. I couldn't get any sleep after what Gallade had told me. He was telling me how Giratina, Mewtwo, and Darkrai were all working together. They were going to freeze the world and control it. They were the ones in control – they were the ones causing these blizzards. They had Lugia, I know they did. But why take Lugia? She can't exactly do anything with the cold, could she? I shook my head and frowned. What was I going to do? I'm about to be kicked out of the guild into the cold, frozen wastelands! Tomorrow was the night of the full moon. Tomorrow was when the guild was going to leave for the expedition. I couldn't believe it. I had been part of this team for many days now and they're going to toss me about because I don't have a team. I was lucky enough they even kept me for this long. The more I thought about it, the more I began to think of Vex. How was he doing? Did he meet another Eevee? Did he even get his own team there with the Megas? He should have by now. He's been there for a couple days now. Hopefully they were always in sync…. Ugh, shut up Marcy! I quietly growled to myself and looked over to the door where I heard some knocking. I raised my head from the little bedding I was given and watched as two tall Pokémon came in. I was shocked when I saw who was, and a little growl sounded from me. "Coal, Dusk… What do you want?!" It was those two little jerk Pokémon who were always after poor Vex.

Dusk (Bisharp) shut the door behind him and glanced over to Coal (Houndoom) who just sat down, his dark fiery-amber red eyes glued on me. The corner of his lip moved a little and one of his fangs showed. "So, I heard you were getting kicked out of the guild because you no longer have a team," He spoke quietly. He had no expression on his face whatsoever. Not a sad one or even a glad one.

I pushed myself up on to my paws and matched his cold gaze. "And?" I muttered in response to him. Why would it matter to him? I thought him and Dusk hated me, especially since I was in an exploration team with Vex. Well, was in an exploration team. But now he was gone and I was getting kicked from the guild. Who cares?

Dusk and Coal exchanged glances, now both grinning. "I have an… Opportunity for you," Coal spoke, voice quiet and serious.

I gazed at him, feeling a little tense. What kind of opportunity? Hopefully it didn't involve any bad things. I didn't want to steal or go take a berry from a baby Pokémon. I could never do that. I then avoided Coal's cold gaze and stared at my furry light brown paws. "What is it…?" She asked him.

Coal looked quite delighted when he heard me speak up and he walked over to me and put a paw on my head. "You no longer have a team; am I correct? I am. So," He paused and forced me to look up at him. "How about, you join Team Pitch."

I stared at Coal like he was crazy. Did he seriously just ask me to join his team after he and Dusk have been after Vex and me for the longest time? They've always had it out for us! I couldn't just get up and say, yeah let e join! I knew there was something behind this. There had to be. These guys were bad. But then again, I have not seen too much action from them. In fact, I have hardly seen them lately. They were either always gone and out doing whatever it was they were doing or at the Café. I've hardly paid attention them. I shook the thought from my head and glanced at Dusk and Coal who were both waiting eagerly for my answer.

"Think about it Marcy. You could join two evolved Pokémon and we can make you stronger -- stronger than you were ever before. We could help you evolve and pick from the evolutions. We know all about the different Eeveeloutions," Coal spoke as he began to pace in a circle around the room.

I shook my head. "I can't do that. I don't even like you guys," I muttered to them and gazed away.

Coal shrugged. "Suit yourself, little Marcy. I guess you would rather spend your days outside in the cold, all by yourself with little food and little chance of survival," The dark, fiery Pokémon began to head to the door.

All these thoughts came rushing into my head. Vex was gone. I was team less but I was still trapped in a Pokémon's body. I wanted to go home – maybe they could help me out…. I couldn't believe I said this, but… "Fine! I'll join you guys."

"Good… Let's go talk to Cinccino about this," Coal replied and turned as Dusk began to open the door. Coal glanced over his shoulder at me, "Forget about Vex. He's nothing now. He doesn't care. Now, now, first thing's first. You need to evolve. Come on, we'll talk to Cinccino and then we're headed for Moonlight Ridge!" His attitude had completely changed. I tilted my head as I noticed an actual…. Smile on his face. Like, not an evil one but an actual kind smile. I must be crazy. There is no way that he would smile at me. I just flickered my ears and watched them. I have to admit; I was actually excited they were going to help me evolve. What do I want to evolve into though?! There are so many options… So many opportunities.

They left the room, slamming the door behind them. I was staring wide-eyed at my paws and I just couldn't believe what I just said I would do. Was this even a smart decision? What if Vex came back and I was a part of Team Pitch now?! Oh who am I kidding, Vex will never be coming back. He's mega-training now. He will soon be evolved and want to go off on his own with The Megas. He was gone so I didn't care that much anymore! It was his choice to go train with them, right? I mean, we did have our argument but that shouldn't have leaded him to something so serious. I remember what Absol had been talking about the day we were there. Mega Training is serious business. They can't have weaklings there or they can never Mega Evolve. Vex wasn't weak, was he? I don't remember. I never had a battle with him. Just an argument… I frowned a little.

Nevertheless! It was my turn. Vex was going to mega train and I should train to get into my final stage. I had to, this was my opportunity to get stronger! And I wasn't going to push it aside. "Wait for me!" I called after the two dark pokémon I've been having trouble with since day one. I pushed opened the door with my nose and ran after them. I smiled as excitement glittered through me. I was going to evolve!


	19. Chapter Eighteen - Evolution is a Pain

**Chapter Eighteen**

 **Evolution Is a Pain**

The newly evolved Lucario was headed to the gates that had lead into Spirit Tower. He was very distracted by his new form and often paused to test something out. It felt so strange to be a Lucario. He could sense Pokémon's aura and they weren't even around him. He was alone under the rising sun. His gaze trailed away from his new body and rose to the sky. The beautiful mixture of the orange and the yellows rippling across the sky was a wonderful sight. It made Vex think a little. What was going to happen if the sun didn't rise anymore? His mind trailed to the story he was told by Gallade and all the other Megas of the guild. He remembered witnessing the battle with the legendary Pokémon, Lugia, Mewtwo and Darkrai. He couldn't believe that night it all happened. Why would they want poor Lugia? She wasn't exactly an ice Pokémon so she wouldn't be much used to the entire, 'freezing the world over.' Perhaps they were going to do more… He didn't know what was going to happen. It feared him to think about it. There was no way he could go up against such powerful legendries – not by himself. Wasn't there more legendry's out there that could stop them? He's yet to meet a good legendary after he found out about Darkrai turning evil. Surely there had to be another Pokémon out there that was equal to his strength. Then he thought of the psychic Pokémon known as Mewtwo. When he was younger, Vex was told stories about a powerful psychic Pokémon that could do so much to other Pokémon. He could control them with their psychic powers. Vex knew of no way to stop such a Pokémon. He was sure none of the guild members knew either.

"Glad to see you actually evolved," A Pokémon spoke.

Vex didn't move, didn't flinch. He didn't even look over his shoulder to see who spoke to him. The voice belonged to Banette, one of the few megas he disliked. "As am I," He spoke calmly, staring at the sun above his head.

"What are you doing out here? Now that you evolved, you have tons of training to do. Hardcore training if you want to Mega Evolve," Banette explained, suddenly appearing in front of the Lucario.

Vex raised his head a little and gazed at Banette. He was a little bothered with the fact that she came to speak to him. He didn't want to be bothered, not after having to deal with the Absol in battle. "I'm… Just… Thinking," he muttered quietly to the Mega.

Banette looked over Vex and floated around him a little, picking up his tail, several of his appendages that hung from the back of his head. She was looking over the pokémon, seeing the difference and how much he had grown with his evolution. To her, the Pokémon was amusing. It's been quite a long time since she had seen a Lucario and she smiled some. "I'm proud of you, Vex. You evolved and now you are much stronger. You give off an amazing aura."

Vex raised his arms and examined them once, nodding as she spoke. Finally, he responded, "Of course, any Pokémon that evolves grows stronger." That was true, wasn't it? Or was he the same weak Pokémon everyone claimed him to be? Of course, he had so much more to do and learn. He wanted to master his aura and his power. Then maybe everyone would be proud of him and he could be more than just 'Vex.' He could be a hero… Anything he wanted to be.

"Tell me something," Banette spoke.

"Hrm?"

"Do you miss Marcy?"

The question made Vex's emotions fall a little dark. Of course he missed her. She was his best friend. She was the first friend he ever had. They had gone through so much together. All the missions the two of them had gone on and the nights they would sit under the starlit sky and talk to one another about whatever was on their mind. The way she smiled and laughed, joked around. She put up with him when no one else would. She had been there for him since they first met… She was washed up on the beach. And all of a sudden, everything seemed to flash through his mind. His eyes grew wide when he realized the few memories they had. No matter how little that memory was, Marcy was in all of them. He remembered her brave act when Team Pitch had stolen his relic. He remembered how he was always there for him, even when he was scared. She always cheered him up and had him get up on his toes. She was there for him and yet, he abandoned her because of a petty argument. The pokémon turned and avoided Banette's gaze and he closed his own dark eyes. He suddenly stood up on his paws and began to trail away.

"Where are you going?" Mega Banette asked.

"On a walk," He lied.

"To?" She demanded.

"A place," He replied, still walking away. He held his head high and continued to walk away. The aura pokémon was now headed back in the direction of Silvermist Town, where his best friend awaited him… And his original guild was waiting for him to come home. He knew they were waiting on him.

After talking to Cinccino about joining Team Pitch, they lead me away from the guild. Cinccino was actually really happy that I joined another team. I half-way wish I hadn't joined Pitch and Coal but it could've been worse. I could've been completely removed from the guild because I didn't have a team. I bounded after the two who were running through the forest. The Houndoom and Bisharp were actually laughing and telling jokes to one another, it was weird to see them smile. They looked so powerful and it was actually slightly kind of them to take me under their wing. Maybe they changed after they had evolved. Everyone can change, right? I believe it. I've seen so much happen since I've joined the guild. From seeing Vex start off as a little coward to changing into the Riolu he was this day. Maybe he was a Lucario by now. I'm sure he's been training hard with The Mega Pokémon. I hope he's doing okay. I'm sure he was. He probably has a new partner by now, which I wouldn't mind. I want him to be happy.

"Just up this hill, hurry up Marcy!" Coal called over his shoulder as he trucked through the snow and even burning some of the snow. He was a fire pokémon, so it was no surprise his power was burning the snow as he ran. It was pretty impressive. I began to slow down as the hill got steeper. We were headed up to Moonlight Ridge, a place I've never heard of but I'm sure it was a gorgeous view. I continued to chase after the evolved pokémon up the hill and finally they stopped at the very top. I grunted at the last step and attempted to catch my breath. On the other side of this hill was a beautiful, opened lake that was shimmering under the moonlight. Surprisingly, it was a full moon. Lately, we've been having such horrible snowstorms and cold weather. It was the fall, and we were already getting snow. A ridiculous amount as well.

Rumor has it, it's the ice legendary pokémon's fault. It wasn't just the weather but there was still no real proof that Articuno was behind this. I remember in town one day there was a big discussion over Articuno, the legendary ice-bird pokémon. Half the town said she was evil, the other half said she was innocent. I wouldn't know. I've never met her. I didn't know what to believe so I pulled my nose out of that conversation and argument.

"This is Moonlight Ridge," Dusk explained, motioning to the view in front of them.

"Wow!" I exclaimed and looked at the rock that was on top of the hill. It was shaped weird and I tilted my head some. "What's this rock?" I asked.

"That's what everyone calls Icy-Rock," Coal told me, laying down beside the tree that was next to the rock and off to the side a little.

"Icy-Rock?" I echoed and took a step near it.

Pitch instantly put an arm out to block me from getting anymore near it. "Don't touch it," He muttered quickly. "This rock will make you evolve." He crossed his arms and I took a step back.

"Evolve?" You echoed.

"That's right," Coal piped in. "This rock will make an eevee evolve into one of their seven forms. This one will have you evolve into an ice-type named Glaceon." He smiled and tilted his head again.

My gaze was set on this rock. I could be a Glaceon? I wonder if that form is gorgeous. Surly I've seen one in the human world before… Then again, I can't remember much from my home world.

"There are six other options, however, Coal and I only have access to three other forms. There are three stones in my bag, a firestone, water stone, and thunderstone," The tall Bisharp pulled the bag from his back and gently set it on the ground. "The other few stones we have won't work on you," He explained as he dug through his bag. He then pulled out three glowing stones, a red one, blue one, and a green and yellow one.

My eyes grew wide with excitement as I neared them. "They're so pretty!" I exclaimed.

"Of course they are, they're evolution stones," Coal muttered from behind me. "This will evolve you into Flareon the fire type, Vaporeon the water type, or even Jolteon the thunder type." The wolf-dog explained to me. The large fire type walked up beside me and looked at the stones.

I smiled with happiness. I had so many opportunities! This was incredible! I got a little closer to the stones before Coal grabbed me by the fur on my neck and pulled me away from the stones.

"We told you to not get close to them," He growled through gritted teeth. "We're trying to help you. Take this as an apology for our past," The fire pokémon said, letting go and spatting out the fur. "Gross."

"I'm not gross! How dare you!" I snapped at him and then suddenly backed up. "Apology?" I repeated.

The houndoom and bisharp looked at one another and then down at me. "Of course!" Dusk said with a bow. "We were kids before we evolved and now we've seen the light," He murmured and looked up at me with sad eyes. "We just wanted to get stronger," the bisharp said quietly.

Coal nodded in agreement, "He's right.

I sat down away from the two pokémon who were bowing in respect. This was a very strange side I've never seen from them – or anyone. I mean, on occasion the pokémon from request would bow in thanks but nothing like this. Coal and Dusk were being nice. They were even helping me evolve. But there was one thing that bothered me. "What about that treasure that Vex has? Why have you been trying to get your grubby paws on that?" I demanded from them.

The two gazed at each other and grinned. Coal laughed, "We just wanted something no one else had. But in the end, it didn't even matter. He's gone and took the treasure with him. So we don't really care anymore."

Dusk laughed and put his arm on top of the Houndoom's head. "He's right. That treasure is nothing special. In fact, it is just a meaningless stone."

"Really?" I murmured and tilted my head as they nodded down at me. "Wow. I thought it was like, rare or something very special."

"It's rare but not that rare," Coal explained, shrugging. "We have more valuable treasures now."

"Hrm…" I took a deep breath, taking in the crisp air but as I did that, I caught another smell. "What is that?" I murmured under my breath and gazed around the hill. The smell wasn't familiar and in fact smelled of something different… Nothing I've smelt before. I gazed around the forest behind us. Even Coal was growling and planting his feet into the ground.

"There's something here," Coal murmured.

Dusk quickly picked up the three stones and threw them in his bag. "What is it?"

"A pokémon," I told them and gazed around the area. Something stirred some bushes and my gaze flickered over to the bush and I growled.

A bright burst of fire hit the bushes I was looking in the direction of.

"This is adorable," A voice whispered. "You two did it!"

"What?" I muttered, flattening my ears.

"Show yourself!" Coal growled, flames sparking on his muzzle.

"But…. Coal, why? You have what you need. Why have you… Not collected your reward?" A pokémon whispered and suddenly a ghost pokémon appeared in front of us.

I jumped as she suddenly appeared in front of Coal. "Maggie?" I muttered, focusing on the pokémon who looked slightly beat up and injured.

The ghost pokémon completely ignored me and began to float around Coal with a happy hum. "You did it! You did it!" She cheered.

"I thought we got rid of you!" Coal growled, his flames getting hotter.

"You should've left when you had the chance, Maggie," Dusk muttered, putting his arms together.

"Me? Leave my team? Never!" She giggled and rubbed her face against Coal. "How could I do that? You two took me in when I had no one else!"

Coal growled and tried to snap at her with his fire fang. "You betrayed us, Maggie," The fire-dark pokémon growled. "You turned us in so you could get the reward all to yourself!" His eyes looked angry and his body was just getting hotter and hotter as he began to summon little flames. "If it's one thing I can't stand is being betrayed."

I gave a -_- look. Are you serious? You can't stand being betrayed but you can do that betraying? I looked at the ghost and then back at Coal who was summoning even more flames, his body beginning to light up some.

"You know, I thought I could trust you," Coal growled, walking up to the Mismagius who had backed up some. His fire grew brighter and brighter, his eyes getting darker with hatred. "You were one of the few pokémon I could trust and you just turned us in! For no reason!"

"Oh but… Sweetie, Coal. Look at where you are now! You're evolved and you almost have your mega evolution down!" Maggie smiled brightly, gazing at him.

"Mega… Evolution?" I echoed quietly. "Houndoom can mega evolve?

Dusk nodded. "That's right, I didn't believe it either until Mega Banette told us," He explained to me.

"That's neat," I murmured and watched the Houndoom continue to get onto Maggie about whatever he was angry about…

"That's not the point!" Coal snarled, his teeth barred. "The point is you had us caged up and you didn't even try to rescue us," The fire-dark pokémon snapped. "You LEFT us there!" Suddenly, the fire pokémon began to glow a bright blue and his form began to change.

My eyes grew wide in awe. This must be mega evolution! This was so exciting! I felt my tail quiver with excitement as I saw features on Houndoom changing. The bones on his chest grew wider and he grew bigger horns. His tail was growing longer and the silver bracelets on his back legs disappeared. The one chain bracelet on his front legs became two. The light began to disappear and the fire pokémon was now in an entire different form. He was a lot larger, warmer, and scarier. He looked as though he could easily rip through a pokémon.

Maggie looked at him and chuckled, "You really think you can fight me?" She asked. "I don't think so."

Coal's eyes were a beaming red color and the flames surrounding him were still bright. He gazed around the area. "Stop hiding you coward," He snapped and looked around.

Dusk frowned and had me back up some. "This could get bad… Last time he went mega he couldn't control himself. So stay out of this fight." The pokémon sat his bag down and then walked up beside the angry fire pokémon.

"I'm not hiding," The ghost pokémon giggled. Suddenly, she appeared beside the fire pokémon and the gems on her chest were beginning to glow. She then used Power Gem and directly attacked the fire/dark pokémon. It was super effective.

Coal slid back in the snow as the power gem hit him so close. He shrugged it off and growled in anger. He charged at the ghost pokémon with glowing orange teeth. Leaping, he just barely missed the ghost pokémon as she faded away in the shadows again. Coal had missed his crunch. Standing there breathing, he listened to the surroundings and tried to pinpoint the ghost pokémon. She couldn't stay hidden in the shadows forever.

Finally, he caught the scent of the ghost pokémon and quickly turned around and faced me. His mouth opened wide and fire suddenly came flying at me. "AGGH!" I screeched and ducked down quickly, putting my paws over my ears and eyes to cover them.

"Teehee ." The ghost pokémon giggled.

I could see a faintly glowing red light on the other side of the Coal now. "THERE!" I called quickly to them.

Dusk turned faster than ever, rubbing his arms together, then slamed his arms together, and silver colored sound waves spread out before him. He actually caught Mismagius in his metal sound move, catching her offgaurd. However, all she did was open her mouth and let out a high pitched screech that canceled out his move.

I yelped as the loud and high pitched noise hit my ears. "Owowowow!" I squealed, trying to cover my ears even more. I was now laying, belly flat, on the snow-covered ground and trying to cover my ears up. My tail was then lifted and I was pulled off the ground. "HELP!" I squealed and tried to twist in the grip and look up at my attacker. In front of me was a pokémon, a large and tall red pokémon with black stripes. I tilted my head as I was being hung from upside down to figure out who this was. I suddenly realized it was a Krookodile. "Hi," I muttered before his teeth got bright and began to glow. "LET ME GO!" I yelped and opened my mouth, using swift. The swift didn't do much but it was enough to get me out of his grip. My body hit the ground and I rolled over, and glowed a little. I ran away from the Krookodile with my quick-attack. Turning around, I saw that he was gone. "Huh?"

I gazed over at the Mismagius and Houndoom who were still going at it with fire and shots of darkness. Bisharp now had his own enemy, a large dark, purple squid like creature. It was a Malamar, and with the looks of it, he seemed to be having a troubling time.

I turned my head back to try and find where this Krookodile went but he was gone. Suddenly, I felt the ground below me shake. I could feel something and then I was knocked into the air. I quickly looked down to see Krookodile coming out of the ground after me with his teeth wide. I used my tail and fire more stars at him but he shrugged it off and used his large snout to grab my tail. I let out a screech as he buried his teeth deeply into my tail and then threw me on the ground, hard. I landed with a thud. Not feeling able to move, I saw the Krookdile coming back down at me. His fangs were no longer glowing but were covered in electricity. He was about to bite me with thunder fang. I quickly rolled away from him and stumbled to my feet. I was breathing heavily as I saw him crash into the ground and bite a rock instead. However, he just bit right through that smaller rock and shattered it. I stared with wide eyes and watched him turn his head to gaze at me. His eyes were full of hatred but delight that he could easily punish me. I gazed around the terrain, trying to figure something out. But as soon as I took my eyes off my opponent, I was thrown back into a tree. He was just rammed into me and it did that much damage?

"Marcy!" I heard Dusk's voice echo as he put up in arms in defense against the Malamar.

"L-Look out!" I called as I watched Malamar lift one of his tentacles and slid it across his own body, summoning up a pink-crescent like blade and firing it at Dusk. Dusk was thrown back but instantly got up and blocked the pyscho cut with his own move, quick guard. His head began to glow a shiny silver color and he charged at Malarmar using iron head. It was a direct hit.

"Marcy, stop laying there!" A voice sounded in my head. I gazed over at the fire-dog pokémon whose eye I just caught in time to know that it was him.

"Right!" I muttered and got up, shaking the snow off me. Think! I had to think! I couldn't take Krookodile on by myself, not at the moment. I was weak and I didn't know too much. I had to outsmart him somehow. My gaze fell on my opponent that was leaping into the air and then disappeared again into the ground. He was using dig. He was quite fast underground. I ran from the pokémon I could sense under my feet. Looking around the forest-hill we were on, I was trying to find something. Seeing a rock, not too far away, I ran to it and jumped on it. Maybe he couldn't sense me on the rock. But the ground just shook under me and I fell off the rock and down lost my balance, rolling down the hill. As I began to roll down the hill, I could feel the Krookodile closing in on me but I couldn't stop myself from tumbling. That's when he leaped out and stopped me from rolling, grabbing me by my tail against with his teeth. I glared up at the pokemons dark eyes and once again used swift with as much power as I could summon. The pokémon groaned and let go of me as the stars from swift collided with his eyes. He staggered down the hill some and I tracked my way up some. I growled and began to run down the hill, picking up a lot of speed. I used my quick attack and began to jump side to side, hoping to confuse the Krookodile. It was working too. He couldn't keep up with my speed. I jumped into the air and collided into the large pokémon's' gut and forced him down the hill even some more. I landed extremely gracefully for once and smiled in happiness. "Hah!" I laughed and stuck my tongue out at him.

"You're not bad for an unevolved Eevee," He laughed. "However, this will be your last fight."

"No it won't be. I'm taking you down!"

"We'll see about that, little one." The Krookodile grinned and the ground began to shake again, causing me to lose my balance.

I fell on my chest and tried my best to grip the ground where Krookodile had cleared some snow. But when I gripped the ground just barely, I could hear a splitting noise. I gazed down and noticed a glowing light. "THAT'S NOT FAIR!" I screeched as I was suddenly knocked up into the air once more, this time even higher. I felt a sharp pain on my side as I could feel his teeth grabbing me. It hurt. It hurt so bad. I tried my best to get away from him but I couldn't. I couldn't wiggle out of his grip. He landed on top of me, smashing me into the ground and pinning me. "It ends here," He snarled in my face before his teeth began to glow with fire. I stared in fear and let out a screech when his fangs dug into my neck. As I waited for the fire to search my neck, nothing happened. I didn't feel a sharp pain or a burn sensation. In fact, I felt nothing but the cold snow under my body. I opened one of my eyes and looked upwards but saw nothing. I just saw the grey colored sky and nothing more. I blinked, wondering what happened to the Pokémon that had me pinned. I instantly pushed my weak body off the ground and looked around. I then realized that Coal had tackled him while being attacked by the large Malamar. I frowned and as I was about to call out he gave me a look of fear. I could see it in him as he was now pinned between Malamar and Krookodile. I was being useless and I knew I was. I had no choice, I needed to force an evolution. I needed to be strong for this fight but I wasn't sure what to even do. I gazed up the hill that had all the stones sitting there, Dusk trying his best to keep them away from Maggie. This team, no. I guess my team is in trouble. I needed to help them or else I'll be known as a coward when I go back to the guild. I have no choice.

Gritting my teeth, I trudged up the hill while Coal kept the two busy and Maggie and Dusk were distracted. I stared at the shining stones that were a few feet from me. This was going to be the hardest decision of my life but I needed to do what I did. I climbed up the hill, my legs beyond tired and in pain. I felt something in my chest, something that felt like guilt. I was supposed to evolve with Vex but that wasn't happening. Now was my time to shine, to help Coal and Dusk out. This wasn't my business, but it seemed that Krookodile and Maggie were interested in me for some reason, or else I wouldn't have been attacked like they did. When I reached the top of the hill, I felt something grab hold of my back leg and start to pull on me. I gazed over my shoulder to see the dark ground type laying on the hill while holding my leg.

"Not happening, princess," He scowled at me.

I glared coldly at him and turned my attention back to the stones a few inches. As I took another step forward, I was pulled to lay flat on the ground. "Let go!" I growled at the Pokémon and he chuckled in response.

"As if, you're weak as it is. Best time to bring you back," He laughed coldly.

"I'm not going anywhere with the likes of you!" I snarled deeply and reached out to the stones. I just needed one, just one! I was determined to grab hold of it. I stretched out as far as my little body would. I even stretched alll my claws, anything to touch the stones. As soon as I was about to touch one of the smaller stones, they were suddenly picked up and tossed into the air by Maggie and her psychic powers.

"Not evolution for you, shrimp," She laughed wickedly, a huge grin across her face as a shadow got casted across her eyes. All I saw was the deep red glare of hatred for me.

"No!" I squealed and watched as the stones were crushed to little pebbles on to the ground. I stared in disbelief as the grip around my leg got tighter. "The stones!" I cried.

"M-marcy…" A voice came over from the side.

I turned my head, tears welling up as I felt completely defeated. I saw Dusk, smiling softly. He used the bit of strength he had and pointed to the icy-rock that sat still, glowing brightly. I blinked and frowned. This must be my destiny. I stared at my reflection in the big white and gray rock covered with ice in snow. I nodded, knowing this is what I had to do.

"Oh no," Maggie gasped. "The Icy-Rock, I completely forgot about!"

"That, and my will to kick your dark butts!" I snapped, kicking Krookodile in the face and sliding forward to bring myself to the Icy-rock. I reached out with both of my paws and rested them gently on the rock. Suddenly, an icy-chill whipped up around me and I was soon surrounded by a cold and snowy vortex. I could feel my power return to my small and fragile body. I could feel everything about me changing, from my temperature to my features. My legs grew longer and my tail as well. I sprouted something from my head and I could feel the cold from the rock seep into my body, filling me with a cold feeling. The usual warm and fuzzy feeling in my chest disappeared and filled with anger. I stared at the reflection I could barely see in the Icy-rock in front of me. I had changed. The cold around me disappeared and the snow beneath my paws no longer felt cold. It felt amazing and empowered me. I grinned and remembered why I had to evolve.

I gracefully flexed my paws and then turned around to look at my enemies. The only one I came face-to-face with was Maggie who just looked beyond happy.

"The prophecy is complete," She whispered to me.

"Prophecy?" I echoed and stared at her in my new form. What did that even mean? What prophecy was she speaking of? And how did it evolve me?

"You… You completely the prophecy!" Maggie squealed in delight and floated around my new, winter body. "Darkrai will be pleased to know that everything went according to plan."

"What plan?!" I demanded, glaring coldly at the ghost Pokémon an inch away from my face.

"You'll find out soon, love." She giggled and looked around the world before inhaling a deep breath. "I already feel the icy-chill of this world. Soon, Pokémon will be begging for mercy. Or in this case, begging for Marcy." The ghost pokemon laughed loudly before gazing at me, with a huge grin.

"What is the meaning of this?!" I demanded. I then floated above the ground a little because of her psychic powers and I flinched a little. I tried to move and wiggle out of her grip but I couldn't really overpower her. I opened my mouth and accidently used icebeam, firing it at the ghost in front of me.

Surprised, it directly hit Maggie, causing her to lose focus on the psychic powers. She had even floated a few feet back. After such a terrible blow up close, it would've had to hurt. She gave me that dark look she gave me earlier and narrowed her eyes. "You little…… ….." She growled and then a voice sounded from across the field.

"Maggie, we have to go!" It was Krookodile. "We need to leave before he gets here! He will be pleased to hear what has happened."

"Make sure you sleep with one eye open from here on out, love," Maggie whispered to me. "Malamar, do your thing and clean up this mess!" Maggie shouted to Malamar.

I had completely forgotten about Malamar. I thought he was too busy fighting Coal. But I suddenly was lifted up off the ground and forced to face him. The Pokémon then turned upside down and stared into my eyes, a strange and uneasy gaze. I tried to look away from him but I couldn't. There was something in his gaze that kept me staring. I suddenly felt sleepy and heavy. My eyes were struggling to stay open but I could not control it. The last thing I heard was, "Sleep and forget." That's when a wave of darkness swept over me and I fell into a deep slumber.

From the bushes came out a large black and blue pokemon, his amber-red eyes beaming with confusion. He gazed around the area of the forest, seeing how much destruction was caused to the trees and bushes. There were dents in the trees, leaves scattered and even the snow was disrupted. It looked like there had been a fight recently between a couple pokemon. He could still sense everyone's aura. However, there was one faint aura that he could distinguish almost immediately.

"Marcy," Vex whispered to himself. He looked around the small clearing, trying to spot her. "And Coal and Dusk…?" Anger broiled up inside him as he jumped to conclusions. "It either of them laid a paw on her, I will…" He trailed off when he spotted the two of them in separate areas. "Did… She fight them and win?" He questioned and went to exam both of their bodys. They had burn marks and teeth marks in their body, so no way Marcy could've done this.

"She's just…. An…. Eevee…" His whisper trailed off when his gaze rested on the small ice-body up next to the rock. His eyes grew wide and Vex instantly darted up the snow hill to his friend. The fighting/steel type crouched down beside the Glaceon and looked at her injured body. There was also burn marks and bite marks, but also a weird aura coming off of her. An aura from another Pokémon who wasn't lying on the ground, it lingered on her. Vex tried to organize his thoughts on who's aura this was, but it didn't belong to a Pokémon he has met.

"Vex?" A weak voice sounded from behind.

Vex's ears flickered when he heard the familiar voice of Dusk. As much as he wanted to tend to Marcy, he could tell she was still cautious and very much so alive. He turned to the Pokémon who quietly called his name. "What did you do to Marcy?" Vex snapped, approaching him with a ball of bright blue.

Dusk just looked into Vex's cold eyes and replied softly, "Nothing."

"I swear if you're lying, I will end you right now!" Vex growled softly, picking him up off the ground with his free hand. His other hand drew back, the ball of light glowing brighter and twirling to a dark red.

Dusk smirked a little and coughed, "We were just helping her evolve. Because you abandoned her."

Vex raised Dusk higher, the ball of lighting turning to a deep shade of red and his eyes glowing with hatred for the Bisharp. But the aura around Dusk didn't turn to a different shades, it stayed the same. If a Pokémon was lying, their aura changed a different color. There was a few auras Vex has learned. The very first one was the shade of lying, which turns a deep black. Not seeing the aura change colors, Vex dropped him back down and turned away from him. "Why is Marcy here with the likes of you and Coal?" Vex demanded.

"She needed a team because you abandoned her," Dusk explained with a cough as he thumped onto the ground. "Coal and I offered her a spot. We saw the potential in her when you didn't. She wanted to get stronger but she didn't wthink to do it on her own," The Pokémon told him. "So, to avoid he being kicked out of the guild, we took her in."

"How dare you despicable creatures offer her a spot on your team of delinquents?" Vex demanded, glaring at him.

"We're not the same as we were in our pre-evolutiom forms. We are responsible and serious about our team and helping pokemon in need," Dusk replied, matching Vex's cold glare.

Vex growled, clenching his fist and closing his eyes in anger. How could Marcy even think of joining their team? Was it really just to avoid being kicked out of the guild? He shook his head and glanced over at his friend on the hill. "Did you cause this?" Vex asked, pointing up to Marcy.

"No, she chose to evolve," Dusk explained, pushing himself up on his feet and catching his stagger. He leaned against the tree he was laying against a second before.

"Did you force her to evolve into Glaceon?"

"No Vex. I told you, we're not monsters."

"Then why is she a Glaceon?!" Vex snapped.

"It was the only stone left!"

"What happened to the other ones?" Vex demanded.

"They were destroyed in the fight," Dusk replied to him.

"What fight?"

Dusk sighed and lowered his gaze and told him, "Maggie and her crew attacked us."

"Maggie?" Vex echoed and thought back to the small floating ghost Pokémon that was once part of Team Pitch. "Why?"

Dusk shrugged and shook his head. "I'm not sure why," He replied.

Vex glanced out of the corner of his eye at the Pokémon whose aura still didn't change colors.

"She had something against Coal and I," He explained, avoiding eye contact with Vex. "At the end of the fight, Maggie destroyed the three elemental stones we had. The Icy-rock was her only choice of evolution or we would all be dead right now. Coal managed to injure Malamar and Krookodile, but nothing more before he was knocked unconscious. Marcy went to get one of the stones to force an evolution so she could regenerate her power… But Maggie destroyed the fire, water, and electric. Then Malamar did something to Marcy to sleep her. She evolved on her own, in hopes to rescue us," Dusk explained everything. "I'm not sure how long she'll be asleep."

"Over there! I hear voices!"

"I smell something weird? What do you think it is?!"

Vex's eyes grew wide and he gazed in a direction of the voices.

"We're over here!" Dusk called out.

Vex quickly turned and looked at Marcy. He then approached her and put something around her neck, only to hide the something with her bandana. He smiled and gently patted her head before disappearing into the bushes and trees.

Dusk watched the Pokémon and shook his head in disgust. "Whatever," He growled softly before turning to the guild pokemon. "Hey guys. Glad you got the distress call before we all froze to death," He cheered to them.

Vex watched from the shadows and locked gazes with Dusk as he turned his head one last time. Vex frowned and left the scene, leaving Marcy behind once again.


End file.
